Oh, seems like the Malaysian government is all out to woo foreigners to settle down in Malaysia. Just today, the government announced that spouse of foreigners can stay for five years before having to endorse their passports again. That could save quite a lot of hassle.

Read on for more information.
Thursday March 15, 2007, The Star

Foreign spouses of Malaysians can stay for five years without annual endorsement

PUTRAJAYA: A big relief for Malaysians married to foreigners as their spouses can now stay in the country for five years without having to go to the Immigration Department annually to endorse their passports.

The Government announced the five-fold extension period making it easier on foreign spouses who had in the past complained about the hassle in getting their passports endorsed annually.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said: “Foreigners married to Malaysian citizens could stay in the country for up till five years without having to have their passport endorsed annually as presently exercised.”

This is part of the marketing strategy aimed at further boosting the country’s tourism industry from now till 2010.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the plan includes getting more tourist arrivals from long haul destinations, to increase the number of days tourists spend in Malaysia and to encourage the arrival of tourists coming here for meeting, incentives, convention and exhibition (MICE) events.

Najib said the Cabinet Commitee on Tourism, which he chaired on Thursday had set a target of increasing up to 10%, the number of tourist arrivals for MICE events for 2010 from the present 3%.