(AFP) Foreign men married to local women will be allowed to work in the country under more liberal immigration rules to be introduced next month, reports said today.

Highly-qualified foreign husbands will be encouraged to seek employment and will qualify for permanent resident status after five years, local newspapers quoted Home Affairs ministry secretary-general Aseh Che Mat as saying.

"These spouses are knowledgeable and qualified, including in information technology. But when they come here they are unable to get jobs," he said.

Under current regulations, local men can bring in their foreign wives while applying for permanent residence status for them but local women are often forced to migrate abroad to follow their husbands.

The move to ease immigration restrictions follows amendments to constitution last month to guarantee women equal rights with men by adding "sex" to the list of outlawed grounds for discrimination.

Aseh said, however, the new rules would not apply to the 800,000 foreign workers already in the country whose temporary work permits stipulate that they cannot marry locals.