Asean business council to push for business and graduate work visas
KUALA LUMPUR : Asean business leaders are calling for the creation of an Asean business visa and an Asean graduate work visa to provide free movement of talented workers across the region.
Nazir Razak, chairman of the Asean Business Advisory Council, said Asean's aspirations for an integrated economic community had been hindered by a lack of political will and capital.
However, Asean business leaders still wanted skilled workers to be able to move freely across member states.
He said the proposed business visa would allow employees of approved Asean businesses to work in any country in the bloc, while the graduate work visas would provide for a standard two-year stay after graduation.
'For example if you study in Malaysia, you will get an automatic two-year work visa (to work in Malaysia),' he said, adding that Singapore had a similar arrangement with the UK.
Nazir said that the council will propose the Asean visa initiative at the Asean summit later this month.
Malaysia currently offers a graduate pass that allows international students from 23 countries to remain in the country for a year after graduation and can further their studies, travel or work part-time.
Separately, business risk analyst Ben Simpfendorfer said 'talent mobility' would be welcomed by businesses across the region. 'Making it easier for Asean talent to move to Malaysia is a major win,' he said.
Simpfendorfer said Malaysia would have natural advantages as English is widely spoken, the country is culturally diverse, and living standards are good. 'Proximity to Singapore is a plus, and the talent landscape here can be a differentiator—especially as companies look to consolidate operations and reduce costs,' he said.
Simpfendorfer said Malaysia should focus on attracting management and engineering staff.
He said that as the manufacturing sector expands, companies would need people who can both operate and oversee complex systems. 'Technological roles, especially in artificial intelligence, will also be critical. That's going to be one of the most competitive areas globally.'
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