KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 — Malaysia has set up an online site for qualified expatriates to apply for residence passes as part of its efforts to attract and retain world-class talent under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s economic transformation programme.

Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp) chief executive officer Johan Mahmood Merican said the pass is available by application through http://www.expats.com.my/rp. The Residence Pass was launched on March 31 by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

“The introduction of the Residence Pass helps facilitate top foreign talent to commit to Malaysia for a longer term and contribute to our development,” Johan said in a statement today.

He said the Residence Pass was a new immigration instrument, which offers a longer tenure of five to 10 years to reside and work in Malaysia compared to the Employment Pass, which is currently held by most expatriates.

According to TalentCorp, “the Residence Pass provides greater flexibility as it is personal to holder and not tied to a specific employer. The Residence Pass will also be issued to the spouse and children below 18 years old of successful applicants. This will enable the spouse of successful applicants to work in Malaysia as well.”

It also said for the initial phase of implementation, applicants for the Residence Pass must currently hold a valid Employment Pass.

“The Residence Pass is targeted at world-class talent and thus, to secure approval, applicants must demonstrate a high level of professional achievement, supported by possession of relevant qualifications and work experience, especially in key economic sectors as identified under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP),” according to the statement.