MALAYSIAN AN IMMIGRANTS IN MALAYSIA

Although I have frequently traveled to Kota Kinabalu but I can never comprehend or accept that we, Malaysian have to queue like immigrants or foreigners everytime Malaysian from the Peninsular arrived in East Malaysia. Infact, there is no different between us queuing at the Counter that reads “Malaysian Passport” and the foreigner queuing at the “Foreign Passport” only counter except, we have the option to either use our Identification Card or the passport while the foreigner do not.

The queue at the immigration checkpoint during our arrival was horrendous and equally as bad, was the queue to leave Sabah International airport. Not being happy, bored and had nothing to do, I took out my sexy white iPhone 4s dressed in Yellow cover and happily snapped picture of us Malaysian ‘immigrants’ in East Malaysia on the long queue but was spotted and abruptly called aside by the immigration officer for taking picture at the custom clearance. All the way from the back, three quarter to the last queue from the counter, I was called to the front, infront of all others and was asked to delete the pictures by the fierce and no smiling lady officer at the counter probably on pms. Then, I was asked to go back into the rear-end of the long queue. 

Of course I had the option to either create a scene or make it a blog story. I chose the latter.

From one unresolved heartache of being treated like an immigrant in Sabah, now I have to digest my forever-questioning mind, why is the custom checkpoint a prohibited area for taking picture? Because of terrorists or any other agenda…?

Immigration Department of Malaysia- PASSPORT RENEWAL

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I googled, found and browsed the Immigration Department of Malaysia official website to check the procedures to renew my expired passport.

I noted and prepared the requirements for renewal being One colour-passport size photo, a copy of Identity Card and the renewal fee at a discounted RM100 for 2 years. The normal fee was RM300.00.

I noted the Opening Hours for passport renewal at 7:30am and arrived at Pusat Bandar Damansara at 7:20am but had to find P4 basement car park for Visitors parking which took me another 10 minutes and another few minutes to arrived at the Immigration Department entrance by 7:36am.

There were approximately 26 people queuing to use the "Kiosk Pembaharuan Passport" or KIPPAS (Passport Renewal Kiosk). Peeping through the KIPPAS glass door, I saw 4 Kiosks available. I am quite excited to experience this latest technology but while queuing, two of the Kiosks fell sick and refused to work.

With only 2 Kiosks operating, it took 32 minutes of queuing but I was amazed at the speed of the Kiosk. At the Kiosk, I was first asked to select a preferred language, insert my passport at the passport holder, insert my MyKad Identity Card, then removed both the passport and MyKad Identity Card before inserting the expired passport into a pre-prepared enveloped together with a photo and photocopy Identity Card. I slot RM100 note as payment and the Kiosk print-out a slip to complete the transaction within less than 5 minutes displaying time paid as 08:10:15. The new renewed passport can be claim on the second floor at counter 17 said a very friendly and accommodative immigration officer whom were there to assist all users.

The Slip displayed the passport-collection-time in line with the "Piagam (Charter)" 2-hours collection at 10:11am.The "Piagam" written in Malay is translated as "Application for Malaysia International Passport will be ready in 2 hours upon payment made". I was very pleased with the Kiosks and more upon reading the "Piagam" below that was on every corner of the office.

I went and had four half boiled eggs, Tosei and Nescafe tarik at Restaurant Ali Maju opposite the Immigration office.



2 hours later at 10am, I went up to the 2nd floor and was given another Queue-Slip with a number 9020 and was asked to wait at counter 15, 16 or 17.

Amongst the many "Piagam"-International passport will be ready within 2 Hours upon payment" posters, there lies a smaller contradicting poster that reads............

(Queue Slip will be issued only after 2 hours of payment)

It does gets confusing with two contradicting posters. One poster displayed the 'International passport application will be ready within 2 hours upon payment' and the other small poster reads out the 'Queue-Number will be issued ONLY AFTER 2 hours of payment'............ but I waited patiently for my queue with a few hundred others....

It gets more confusing when the Queue-numbers are jumbled-out and being called without any consistency. At first it was 8016, then 8043, 9015, 9022, 8030, 8048, 9010. 9022... etc etc etc....

At 12pm.. after 4 hours of total waiting and 2 hours since I was issued with the Queue-number, I approached the Counter 16 to inquire.

"Madam, I have been waiting for 4 hours since 7:30am and its been 2 hours since I was issued the Queue-Number, can you check the status of my passport?" I asked.

The Lady Officer at Counter 16 was very friendly, she smiled and said, "Sir, please pass your Identity Card and the Que number to my colleague at Counter 17, he will be able to assist you".

I was pleased with her response and I went to the next counter (Counter 17) and spoke to GANESH KUMAR.. I inquired, "Excuse me Sir, I am grateful if you can check the status of my passport.. I have been waiting for 4 hours since 7:30am"

Ganesh replied abruptly, "We can follow-through if you submit via the counter but since you submit using the KIOSK, IT WILL TAKE LONGER!! NO POINT IF YOU WANT TO BE MAD OR ANGRY, you have to wait for your number!!!"...

I was shocked at his reply. "I am not angry (though now abit upset with his tone), I only want to know the status of my passport since its been too long (from the 2hour-Pledge/Charter and the lady in the next counter said to pass you my Identity Card for you to check", I explained nicely with a controlled temperament.

"I have waited 4 hours since 7:30am, and 2 hours with the queue-number. I thought Immigration PIAGAM was 2 hours upon payment made?" I added and asked.

Ganesh replied, "That Piagam is piagam la, nobody follows. You want to compain, you complain la, there is a procedure to complain. If you submit your passport renewal at the Counter, we can assist but now you have to wait for your number, there is nothing we can do".

Now I am upset but controlled my temper to avoid any unwanted scene but repeated to Ganesh, "Please check the status of my passport, here is my Identity Card".

Without any smile and a frown facial expression, he took my Identity Card and keyed-in his computer and said, "Your passport has been processed. Please wait for your number to be called". Ganesh passed back my Identity card without even looking at me and left the counter.

I took my Identity Card and waited for another 30 minutes before my number was finally called at Counter 15. At that counter, the officer was friendly and smiley, he asked me to signed a form before electronically verified my thumb-print.

Except for Ganesh Kumar whom was not accommodative, unfriendly without any smile, all other officers were very friendly and understood the public's outcry with the inevitable long waiting period.

The Piagam for 2 hours delivery for International passport should be removed and replaced with a more pragmatic timing that will not give any false or unnecessary expectation.

When the Immigration Department pledged delivery within 2 hours, it should be delivered as promised!

I was expecting a whole day affair at the Immigration department and would have been pleased to get my renewed passport before lunch at 1pm without the PROMINENTLY DISPLAY OF THE PIAGAM! The Piagam had given an unnecessary expectation. Infact, upon reading the Piagam, I have even informed my office that I will be back by 10:30am...... presumably true if the passport was ready in 2 hours.

A word of advice to all... The Kiosks takes a longer processing time.. USE THE COUNTER!

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