PETALING JAYA: A group consisting of couples of different nationalities have urged the government to grant them travel exemptions so that they can be together.
Such “bi-national” couples should be allowed to leave and enter the country so long as they can prove they are in a committed relationship, says Cameron Johnstone, a social media campaigner.
Johnstone, 21, a Briton engaged to a Malaysian, represents a group calling itself “Love is Not Tourism”.
He said he has not seen his fiance, Aisyah, since January. He said distance and uncertainty of their reunion has taken a toll on their mental health.
Speaking on behalf of others in similar situations, he said: “We don’t consider ourselves tourists. We don’t wish to spread the virus; we just want to see our partners.”
Johnstone added he had emailed every minister in Parliament to raise awareness on the cause, but had not received any response.
Although travel restrictions have kept unmarried couples apart, some governments have started to introduce measures for them to reunite.
France, Germany and eight other European countries recently lifted travel bans for bi-national couples to meet each other as long as they are tested negative for Covid-19.
Malaysia only allows foreign spouses of Malaysian citizens into the country.
“Long distance love affair”
Ian Miller, 45, a Canadian engaged to a Penangite, said he has been separated from his fiance Shanelle since June. They are waiting for borders to re-open so that Shanelle can move to Canada.
“We are engaged but we cannot even meet each other to get married. Canada is preventing all foreigners from entering and in Malaysia, nobody can come in or leave,” he said.
He suggested the government expand its definition of immediate families to include unmarried couples and people in long-term, committed relationships.
For Evan Ong, 27, international borders could not have closed at a worse time. He is engaged to an Indonesian. A month into the MCO lockdown, he received news that his fiance was pregnant.
“Our baby will be born in November. I hope we can register our marriage before our baby is born, to avoid any complications,” he said.
“We hope that the government will let binational couples reunite during these tough times,” he said.
Khanusha Neesha, 33, said she had been separated from her Polish partner, Tomasz, for eight months. “He proposed right before he left, so I’m engaged. But more than half the year has gone by and I haven’t even seen him,” she said. “I’m just in a state of daze and I don’t even know what’s going on and when I’ll be able to go back to Poland.”
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