Tuesday, January 23, 2007

All done in under 2 hours!!!

(Wah! All done with friendly, efficient service in under 2 hours. Syabas! Jabatan Imigresen, Cawangan Wangsa Maju.)

Photo courtesy of TV Smith



Ladies and germs, I am in shock today. I’d had an experience in a government office, which I never thought was possible. My visit to the Jabatan Imigresen, Cawangan Wangsa Maju to renew my international passport was actually a no-fuss and stress-free and pleasurable experience.

When I set off with my friend, TV Smith this morning I was frankly quite skeptical. I had read in the news papers that since Pak Lah’s “lightning visit” to the Immigration Department last year things have improved by leaps and bounds and the department had actually become efficient and service-oriented. Of course, the past few days the department had also released statements about their new express services. Passports renewed within the hour and so on. Never mind. I was still skeptical.

TV Smith and I decided to go the new immigration office in Wangsa Maju that had been in the news for their fast, efficient service. TV had rung up the Immigration HQ in Putrajaya to ask for directions and was pleasantly surprised when the lady who answered the phone gave clear directions to the office in Wangsa Maju. So we set off for Wangsa Maju. We drove around for about 30 minutes and didn’t find anything resembling an office complex much less a spanking new Immigration Department branch. We stopped by the side of the road and called Putrajaya again. This time nobody picked up the phone. After several failed attempts TV called the office in Pusat Bandar Damansara. We were told that the office we were looking for is NOT in Wangsa Maju but in Setapak Jaya. This time the person gave us a block by block verbal map to Wisma Rampai in Setapak Jaya where the branch office is located. Thank you.

The week old office is situated in a decrepit building and appeared the only new and efficient looking operation there. Well, except for the Chinese aunty who operates the photocopying and photo taking shop next door. Upon entering the office we were assaulted by a blast of cool air which smelt clean and fresh. Being a well trained Malaysian I headed straight to the nombor giliran counter where I was faced with a surly looking man who obviously wasn’t interested in anything other than the approaching tea break. Upon learning the purpose of my visit he informed me that I had to fill in a form which he will give me in exchange for RM1 and get photo copies of my NRIC before he would give me a nombor giliran. I later deduced that he was surly only because he probably didn’t like my face. When approached by TV Smith he was smiling and even addressed TV as “bro”! Maybe I cut him off on Radio 4. Other than Mr. Sourpuss all the other counter staff I dealt with were very pleasant. And they all smiled sincerely and were eager to be of service. I got my nombor giliran, filled borang, paid the RM300 renewal fee and was told to come back in 2 hours. Huh? Wasn’t the claim that it could be done in an hour or less? The officer patiently informed me, smiling, that they will try their best and that most of the time it would be completed well within that time. It was just that they were ‘playing safe’ (their words). Okay. The time was 11.43 a.m.

We went to have something to eat at one of the many restaurants and eateries nearby. When we returned the clock in the Immigration office showed 1.05 p.m. I asked at the counter if my passport was ready for collection. It wasn’t. But they were still within the 2 hour limit. Finally, my number was called at 1.25 p.m. and I collected my renewed passport from a lady who identified herself as a Pegawai Imigresen Tinggi after TV asked what the prefix PIT on her name tag meant.

All done within 2 hours. And the air in the office was cool and fresh and they even have a room set aside for nursing mothers. Now when was the last time you experienced a customer friendly, service-oriented government department?

Up side

Fast and efficient service.
Cool, fresh and clean environment.
Friendly, efficient staff.
Comfortable seating.
Room for nursing mothers.
A conspicuous absence of the infamous A4 paper signs.
Lots of restaurants and eateries in the area catering to all races.


Down side

The office is called Jabatan Immigresen, Cawangan Wangsa Maju. But it is NOT in Wangsa Maju. It is in Setapak Jaya.
The office is located in a decrepit building.
The writing counters have no pens or pencils.
The building has an AutoPay parking system with only one machine which only accepts RM1 notes and 50 sen coins.

Another plus for Malaysians is that this Immigration office is flanked by a JPN office for identity cards and stuff.

As we were leaving I overheard one gentleman, “Lesen. Lesen mana?”
They don’t do driving licences there.

(Niamah!!! Moments from the visit to Jabatan Imigresen, Cawangan Wangsa Maju here.)

(The Jabatan Imigresen, Cawangan Wangsa Maju. Remember, it's not in Wangsa Maju. It's in Setapak Jaya.)





Photo courtesy of TV Smith

58 comments:

zewt said...

Curious... Do they suffer from the 10-total-counters-but-only-3-open syndromme?

patrickteoh said...

zewt, actually there were 18 counters in all. And yes there were at least 7 that weren't manned. To be fair it was a very 'light' day there this morning and the counters open were more than capable of catering to the people there.

FIR said...

Hey, how come? When I did mine last December, it took one day. I had to return the next day to pick it up. Does this mean Perlis' branch is not as efficient?

Note to self: Well, it's in Perlis to even begin with... :-).

lecram sinun said...

Wow! Thats all I can say... wow! Maybe the relative efficiency from that one small department could spread to others? Or is that too much to dream for?

Anonymous said...

For your info, there is another Imigration office beside Terminal 3 SUBANG Airport also very efficient.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm... My passport renewal experience:

Wednesday noon:
1. Went to the Imigresen at Pusat Bandar Damansara
2. Took a free envelope from a lady to put in my passport photos
3. Insert my to-be-renewed passport into a machine
4. Insert my IC that has the chip thing into the same machine
5. Insert my photos in the envelope
6. Take back my IC and received a receipt that tells me when to return to obtain the passport

Thursday noon:
7. Went to Imigresen at PBD
8. Handed my receipt to someone behind one of the counters
9. Waited for less than 10 mins
10. Receive new passport
11. YAY!

I like this system better than having to wait 2 hours lor...

cy.leow said...

"Wah Piang!" So fast lah! Far cry from our "renewal" at the Malaysian Hi Com in Wellington, NZ. Well, ours took NEAR TO THREE MONTHS! That was last year, when we pick up our new passports we were told by a hi com officer that my complaint at Jeff Ooi's blog http://www.jeffooi.com/2006/07/wisma_putra_blues.php was NOTICED by HIGHER AUTHORITY in KL! Pak Lah may be? Ha ha ha...
Regards - CY

Anonymous said...

hmm.. i think its time for me to make an international passport. Haven't get one yet, eventhough i am at age. :) Will try out JIMCWM to get that. Thanks patrick for the info.

flaminglambo said...

Drats. I wasted 1.5 days to get my passport renewed last year at PBD. It was hell. Total chaos! Good to hear that things are more efficient now.

Anonymous said...

my experience?

i went to the old subang airport to renew mine.

before that, i check out the immigration website, and saw the form. it actually can be downloaded. so i downloaded it and fill it up.

went to subang airport early in the morning. photocopied my ic there as well as have my picture taken.

then queue up to get my number. when it's my turn, the guy say online form cannot use. (nia mah!! if cannot use why they never mentioned in the website? somemore let ppl download it)

nvm la...so i went to buy the form..fill it up and queue again..

it took quite some time for my number to be called..but it's ok la..just sit there and read the paper..submitted everything..

waited a while more to make the payment..and cabut..

i left my house in cheras at 6:30am..reach there at about 8am..when the office just open...get everything done at about 9:15am.. wakakaz...

msg boss to cancel leave...and come back office to work... lol...

not too bad huh...perhaps becos it's a weekday.. passport can be collected the next day, but it's already one week now...still yet to go collect mine..hehe...my fault la..not them..

Anonymous said...

Wow!Impressed!
I remembered the experienced told by my mom. She accompanied my younger brother to make a passport. From her experience at Imigresen branch in Penang,which always crowded with people,long queue,hussle etc she decided to go to Kedah since it is said to be no people at all.And it's true.My mom and bro arrived at Imigresen Alor Setar and get to the counter directly!
But now, I think should have find out how the environment at Penang's branch.

patrickteoh said...

Yeah I wonder too why the online form cannot be used. After all it is just a form for information. I guess they make some pocket money from selling those borang for RM1 each.

Initially I too was going to use the immigration office in Pusat Bandar Damansara but changed my mind because Cawangan Wangsa Maju was closer to my home. Good decision.

Suanie, actually the process is exactly the same. Except that I dealt with people rather than a machine. I could have completed the application part in 10 minutes and returned the next day to collect the passport but I decided to get it all done the same day.

Yes bamboo, I have used the Subang office a couple of times. They're good too. But on the old days the process took much longer.

Anonymous said...

errr...I'm still confused. Where in the world is this Imigration office? Setapak Jaya? Landmarks please.....any fastfood restaurant nearby or famous landmark for direction?

Thanks..

patrickteoh said...

Hi Sherrina. I tried to help you on this one but when I thought about it I really don't have a clue. TV Smith was my navigator that morning and he's the one with all the directions. http://www.tvsmith.net.my/duasen/

Anonymous said...

Hi Patrick,
How's the Ogawa chair?:P

Jabatan Imigresen and Jabatan Pendaftaran are probably the most efficient government agencies of all. I took my family to Subang T3 branch to renew our passports and we got it done within 1.5 hours! As for Jabatan Perdaftaran, I went there 2 years ago to register my son's name 2 days after his birth and it took me less than an hour!

YY said...

not 1 hrs as propagated in themass media?
patrick, lu tarak makan ke tak cukup makan.. like loss weight liddat one..

Sen said...

I did mine last month at PB Damansara.

I got my nombor giliran and went for a leisurely stroll and for lunch. Even then I was grateful that I had brought a book and my iPod.

The people behind the counters were pleasant though.

It's so much more bearable when you're ready for it.

Anonymous said...

OMG! i can't belive i'm in Patrick Teoh's blog! hey, i used to listen to you every morning on Radio 4! anyway, its great to know that you have a blog and i actually stumbled upon it....keep it up!

Anonymous said...

Can use online forms lar, I used it when I renew my passport at the Malaysian Embassy here in Singapore. The thing is, you have to print the form double sided, so you should only have 1 piece instead of 2 pieces of A4 paper.

My experience here was, process in the morning, next day afternoon can collect. Quite troublesome. I'd prefer if it was done in a day.

Dianne said...

Wah, found your blog from a local Magazine entitled Celebrity turned blogger.

Anonymous said...

actually, u can use kiosk machine to renew, less than 10 minutes. And u come back to pick up the next day.

hassle free. I was shocked with this efficiency too last year.

mamasan said...

HAppy New Year, Patrick! Love to all the family and have a Pig of A Year! Lovey, Christina, Afdlin, Mia and Anais.

Unknown said...

I renewed mine in Dec 2006 at PBD office. Quite crowded even thought I reached there before 7am, probably due to school holiday & year-end. Surprised to find that form is needed before can take Q number. Forced to pay RM3 to get the form from some bugger that soliciting outside as the counter selling form is not open yet. Was even told that for a fee of RM30, "everything" can be done for me without Q up. The guard at the front door just "close-one-eye" & asked the bugger to not to solicit at the "front door" as the high-ranking offier will "marah" if see them. Later, I saw a signboard outside the dept that says soliciting outside govt office is prohibited by law. What a joke.

Anyway, waited for two hours to submit my application, and spent another two hours in queue on the next day to collect my passport.

My comment: Pls don't build so many counters equipped with high-tech PC if there isn't enough officers to man all the counters. Taxpayers' money you know.

Mr. Right said...

Even within 2 hours still ada something u wanna complaint? Bring ur own pen la.. hahahhaha...

Anonymous said...

Cemerlang, gemilang, terbilang

naeboo~ said...

i got my passport abt 2hrs also in penang imigresen and this was in 2005 july.

Anonymous said...

very good! fast and efficient. Wonder when I able to renew passport as not going any where.

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Anonymous said...

NIAMAH! Immigration improved huh?
Try to renew your driving license..NIAMAH! AOOUW HUEEET!
(Vomit blood!)
That blloody MYKAD was supposed to make things easier. Since 'merging' my license and IC in Mykad, I used to renew it in JPN, Shah ALam (MAsaalam building) and twice I did it no problem. Went back there;

Me: Minta maaf encik, boleh ambil nombor giliran untuk memperbaharui lesen memandu?
Pegawai JPN: Tak boleh! Tak Boleh! Lesen hanya boleh buat di JPJ
( JPJ! WTF, NIAMAH! So Hai-Tech mykad but manual process! WTF NIAMAH!)
Me: Errr..tapi sudah buat dua kali di sini, kenapa sekarang tak boleh pulak?
Pegawai JPN: Sekarang lain..Hanya di JPN , PUTRAJAYA atau JPJ

WTF, gotto go to JPJ
Me:Encik, boleh minta nombor giliran bagi memperbaharui lesen memandu dalam MYKAD?
Pegawai JPJ: sorry, sudah habis nombor, datang esok pagi, ambil nombor. (they only give out limited number of numbers to renew license.
How bloody difficult is it to take money and print a renewal receipt?

Me: Kalau macam itu POS OFFICE bolehkah?
Pegawai JPJ:Oh sorry, because Encik punya lesen dalam MYKAD, hanya boleh buat over counter.

Guomen spend millions in MYKAD, now it is even more difficult to renew license compared to the manual one renewed at Post Office previously.
NIAMAH..Malaysia Mesti Boleh!

Anonymous said...

anyone know whether I can renew my passport in Kl if I live in the USA?

Siti Blogger said...

If we give them a chance, govt service is really not that bad these days. Not like before where the makciks at the counters never smiled! Some private sectors can be a pain too if you think about it esp. those who hold the monopoly in their particular industries.

muststopthis said...

I was at cold storage the other day. The cashier? Well I think Cold Storage employs deaf & dumb staff, which is a good thing, because thay are offering good opportunity to these challenged people.

I go to the counter wait for her to punch up and then look at the display and gives her RM 50. she returns me the change and I say thank you. And then I decided to congratulate the Manager for taking such a bold step, to employ hearing and speech impaired people.

It was only then that I realised that she hadn't a clue to what I was talking about!
The cashier was just being rude!
How silly of me to think that we are moving forward...

ever tried using nice polite magic words when you are being served?
Cheeee Siin (Short sircuit!)
NIAMAH!

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Anonymous said...

For those who are already in oversea and live comfortably. There is no reason for you to come back to Malaysia. Life in Malaysia is getting tougher each day.

Frankly, as a Chinese, I don't see there is any future for our next generation.

Another dangerous mentor that people always use is JFK "Don't ask what the country can do for you, ask what you can do for the country."

Is sound nice, but isn't how German Nazi and Japan militarism started the world war using the same mentor? Under the great "ask what you can do for the country."

Patriotism? Yes, I understand how you feel. Your love for the country was spoilt by the political party. Since non-malays will always be a second-class citizen, so you are probably the same in any other countries, if not better.

You get cannibalised by your own countrymen, intellectually and professionally.

As someone else advised, be a global citizen.

Patriotism does not need you to be in Malaysia to work your due. Let no one pointed at you and say you are a traitor if your true intention is to generate good deeds for Malaysia wherever you are.

Save your time about coming back to Malaysia. Nothing will change in Malaysia. At least not even in this lifetime. Racism will still be here to stay and also everything else.

I think there is such an entrenched discrimination against the Chinese and Indians in Malaysia, that it will take probably a whole generation to undo the damage.

This is happening in whole spectrum of the Malaysia government, civil service, state governments and universities. Just look at percentage of malays in all these government bodies - 98%.

A whole generation of malays has been brought up to think that it is their inherited right to own Malaysia. The other races are damned.

I think the malays especially those in power, are scared right now that if they will to compete openly with other races, they will surely be the loser. You will see very strong resistance to hire other races even the most qualified.

The malays are never brought up to compete on even ground. This is fault of previous prime minister and now the present prime minister has to tread a balance ground to ensure the malays are not cast away as well as to make Malaysia competitive worldwide.

In US I never met a malay immigrant, although there are thousands of Malaysian Chinese and Indian immigrants. Why? Malays in Malaysia have an easier life where they are literately prince of the land.

We have infrastructure good enough to be considered first world or better. Look at the Cyberjaya, Petronas Twin Towers, Putrajaya!

Gleaming high-rise buildings but also in every city, dirty toilets abound, litter clogging up the drains, public telephones damaged, plus unreliable rubbish collection and disposal. We just treat public facilities badly, not caring about others.

Being an urban dweller myself, I am constantly disheartened by the poor public infrastructure and upkeep in our capital city.

Faulty pedestrian traffic signals, illogical positioning of bus stops, poor public cleanliness, poor quality sidewalks (which are paved using slippery tiles), poorly managed and unintegrated public transportation system, the list goes on.

Your children can't even walk safely along the Kuala Lumpur streets, as they might be bags snatched, kidnapped, murdered, raped, or robbed, as they do not know the jungle laws of Malaysia. The police won't help much as they now have a big pile of corruption cases running after them.

You owe nothing to Malaysia, you pay your due, so live on.

So, my last advice. Don't come back unless you are really suffering in oversea.

I am sorry this sounds very racist but I think we have to be honest in discussion.

Anonymous said...

Our Pak Lah is a wise man when he made his presence felt in the Immigration Department right after taking over office from Tun Mahathir. When the big boss acts, all his subordinates quickly put his orders to work. It has been that way for donkey years. There is nothing new. Small bosses hardly have much power. Only the big boss does. So next time you vote, remember to vote for Barisan Nasional.

Anonymous said...

That's brilliant! I had a similar experience with *shocking* efficiency at Pusat Bandar Damansara that it helped me to forget the dumba$$ immigration officer at KLIA who directed me to the Putrajaya HQ to get my passport renewed.
Imagine my annoyance when I was told "sini tak boleh renew passport Malaysia. HQ process foreign visa saja..." wtf!!!... and this is supposedly the Immigration HQ of the country!!!
However, I made the trip to D'sara and got my passport renewed (photo, form and thumbprint) within 2 hours!!! Really amazing... just hope that in 5 year's time, I won't have to wait 2 hours and I can renew it at any Immigration office of my choice.

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Anonymous said...

thanks for the note u left on my page's chatterbox. i'm another one of those kids who used to listen to you on radio four actually LOL. will be around to read your next posts! interesting how you can make things sound just anything other than boring. cheerio~

Unknown said...

maybe they are efficent because of you..you are celebrity rite???hehehehe..

J.T. said...

The services at Immigration keeps getting better judging from your experience at Wangsa Maju branch, based in Setapak Jaya. When I renewed mine last September in Port Klang, they accepted my online form. The lady officer there used a coded sticker and pasted it on the top right of my form. I think that's where it went (cannot remember lah). Point of the story - it was hassle-free and quick. I did not even have time to read past the first page of the newspaper I brought with me.

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Martin Bradley said...

On the other hand here is a poem I wrote about my experience at Shah Alam Immigration


Walking aimlessly

Sitting

Standing bewildered

Tears of frustration welling

Not falling

Back seared with icy pain

Standing for aeons

Growing faint

Hungry

Rats of starvation gnawing at intestines,

Any second launching forth Ridley Scott’s Alien.

Beloved wife keeping me upright

Queue to endless queue

Passing daylight hours

Trapped in rank

Weariness a companion

Spanning minutes

Hours

Doubting sanity

Reason

Rationality

Left at the doorway

With unbidden companions we shuffle forward

Micro space

After micro space

Time, after time.

Becoming drawn

Shadow of former being

Cheeks sallow

Once healthy plumpness

Generous visage

Now stubble

Shadowy countenance

Eyes strained

Reddening hue

Constant neon tube glare

Appearing as mad man

Munch’s Scream

Dali’s insistence

The only difference between

Myself and a mad man – is that I am not mad.

Ovid’s Metamorphosis?

Kafka’s?

Forms given

Forms written

More forms

Constant forms

Forms to worlds end

To the ultimate end of the multi-verse

Hidden from sight

Mountain ranges of government forms

Written forms

Typed forms

Forms in duplicate

Forms in triplicate

Forms copied

Recopied

Ink faded

Forms with lines

Forms with columns

Minuscule

Impossible to give requested information

Forms in language of birds

Dialects long since forgotten by tribes of man

Forms on rag paper

Forms on wood paper

Forms on pulp paper

Forms constructed

Reconstructed

Appearing meaningful

Remain meaningless

Forms existing as bureaucratic armament

Form warfare

One last, final, plague to obliterate mankind.

Crowds cowed

Browbeaten humanity

Seething through corridors

Wading through debris

Detritus

Paint of centuries peeling

Electric madness

Opening and closing steel lift jaws

Spewing forth ever hopeful lambs to governmental savants slaughter

Bright eyed newly arrived aspirants mill

To and fro

Back and forth

Seeking

Searching for the right sign

Semiotic grail

Promise of salvation

Ever lasting peace

Eager young women carrying swaddled infants

Ageing buoyant septuagenarians

Hosts of expectant humankind wandering

Joycean Bloom

Odysseus

Once fervent now aimlessly drifting

Nomadic and petulant.

Dusk to dawn

Numbers given

Numbers called

Bottlenecked

Unmoving

Dust gathering

On us

Around us

Small spiders spinning hopeful webs

Catching a different prey

Sweaty bodies once cloying

Clammy

Now dried

Chafing where flesh touched cloth

Shirt under-arms be-ringed

Tell tale signs of desiccated human salts

Leaking heat as well as bodily fluids

Razor creases blunted and skewed

Ancient air conditioning units struggling

Fighting against mass body heat.

The final number

6148

Finally a face

Semblance of humanity

Forms checked

More Forms

Countless forms

Red tape tying

Red tape the colour of blood

Blood sweat, toil of immigrant martyrs

New blood

Nationality transfusion

Tape Compressing

Depressing

Lengths of tape

Acres of tape

Tape that links the first to the last

Tape from Parameswara to us.

The final form

The final wait

Heart pounding anxiety

Chest pounding palpitation

On the edge

Despair

Exhilaration

Visa just within our reach

Permission to reside

Counter tutup (closed).

Photocopy tutup (closed)

Payment counter tutup (closed)

Return Monday.

Sword of Damocles to rema

Ms J said...

Oversee, i dont think you should generalise too much. I am a malay living in the US and i dont take advantage of malay privileges. not everyone live off bumiputera handouts but unfortunately some do.

patrick - good news for all malaysians huh. this should make it eaiser for folks like me.

Martin Bradley said...

Immigration blues
Yusuf MA Bradley


Walking aimlessly
Sitting
Standing bewildered
Tears of frustration welling
Not falling
Back seared with icy pain
Standing for aeons
Growing faint
Hungry
Rats of starvation gnawing at intestines,
Any second launching forth Ridley Scott’s Alien.
Beloved wife keeping me upright
Queue to endless queue
Passing daylight hours
Trapped in rank
Weariness a companion
Spanning minutes
Hours
Doubting sanity
Reason
Rationality
Left at the doorway
With unbidden companions we shuffle forward
Micro space
After micro space
Time, after time.

Becoming drawn
Shadow of former being
Cheeks sallow
Once healthy plumpness
Generous visage
Now stubble
Shadowy countenance
Eyes strained
Reddening hue
Constant neon tube glare
Appearing as mad man
Munch’s Scream
Dali’s insistence
The only difference between
Myself and a mad man – is that I am not mad.
Ovid’s Metamorphosis?
Kafka’s?


Forms given
Forms written
More forms
Constant forms
Forms to worlds end
To the ultimate end of the multi-verse
Hidden from sight
Mountain ranges of government forms
Written forms
Typed forms
Forms in duplicate
Forms in triplicate
Forms copied
Recopied
Ink faded
Forms with lines
Forms with columns
Minuscule
Impossible to give requested information
Forms in language of birds
Dialects long since forgotten by tribes of man
Forms on rag paper
Forms on wood paper
Forms on pulp paper
Forms constructed
Reconstructed
Appearing meaningful
Remain meaningless
Forms existing as bureaucratic armament
Form warfare
One last, final, plague to obliterate mankind.

Crowds cowed
Browbeaten humanity
Seething through corridors
Wading through debris
Detritus
Paint of centuries peeling
Electric madness
Opening and closing steel lift jaws
Spewing forth ever hopeful lambs to governmental savants slaughter
Bright eyed newly arrived aspirants mill
To and fro
Back and forth
Seeking
Searching for the right sign
Semiotic grail
Promise of salvation
Ever lasting peace
Eager young women carrying swaddled infants
Ageing buoyant septuagenarians
Hosts of expectant humankind wandering
Joycean Bloom
Odysseus
Once fervent now aimlessly drifting
Nomadic and petulant.

Dusk to dawn
Numbers given
Numbers called
Bottlenecked
Unmoving
Dust gathering
On us
Around us
Small spiders spinning hopeful webs
Catching a different prey
Sweaty bodies once cloying
Clammy
Now dried
Chafing where flesh touched cloth
Shirt under-arms be-ringed
Tell tale signs of desiccated human salts
Leaking heat as well as bodily fluids
Razor creases blunted and skewed
Ancient air conditioning units struggling
Fighting against mass body heat.

The final number
6148
Finally a face
Semblance of humanity
Forms checked
More Forms
Countless forms
Red tape tying
Red tape the colour of blood
Blood sweat, toil of immigrant martyrs
New blood
Nationality transfusion
Tape Compressing
Depressing
Lengths of tape
Acres of tape
Tape that links the first to the last
Tape from Parameswara to us.
The final form
The final wait
Heart pounding anxiety
Chest pounding palpitation
On the edge
Despair
Exhilaration
Visa just within our reach
Permission to reside

Counter tutup (closed).
Photocopy tutup (closed)
Payment counter tutup (closed)
Return Monday.
Sword of Damocles to remain.

Anonymous said...

Credit must be given if the department is good. Over here in Seremban it is good too...try it.

However the truth is the other civil departments serving the public still stinks from here to Swineland.The cry of the prime minister is still heard daily.
It is a good feeling not to have Mahathir around who practised subtle apartheid in the civil service. How else can the civil service be dominated by one particular race. We all know this is not good for the country. But the Truth always hurts.Applications can come in but the quota must be followed.(reduce black and yellow skins so that key decision makings for one particular race remains a forever an advantage. There is no black skin or yellow skin in the EPU is there? If the skin is there it is for a whitewashing.A junior position.. Just to keep the outside world quiet. very subtle..
Last week there was a war of words on brain drain in parliment with the opposition. A pea brained Minister said that the 1 million Malaysian left because of money. You see the Truth always hurts.Never mind just bury your head in the sand. A yellow Health Minister says we are short of doctors. But the education system instead of plugging the shortage makes it even worse. You see the black skin and the yellow skins must be reduced so that key decision makings in any civil department including the education department always remains an advantage for only one community. It is ok. So we import some doctors from the middleeast to plug the hole.Meanwhile our children born as Malaysians(who want to be doctors) are given the fields to study not what they want but what is thrown to them...very subtle...If you want to be a doctor and want to study overseas ..even with money you have to be given clearence..Now I wonder why so many Malaysian doctors are running away..beats me!!!very subtle...So, just do not recognize these degrees from overseas...very subtle...And if there are too many black skins going to some university overseas..don't shut it down ..just refuse LAN's recognition...very subtle...Mahathir. How not to have polarisation??? You politicians are the cause of this stink...and I hope you sleep well...maybe there is a way out..I should convert..get a quickie divorce in Perlis and a settlement in Perak...ya just maybe.....even the civil courts now ....very subtle...

Anonymous said...

I was also very impressed by the efficiency of our Immigration Department when I had both my passport and my son's passport done (http://giddytigers.com/2007/04/11/passport-express/)

Actually you could have saved the RM1 and downloaded the form from the Immigration site, then you only need to get the number once. I didn't notice a room for breastfeeding mothers in Penang - it's good that they have it in the Setapak branch :)

soleilina said...

*taps foot impatiently waiting for your update* wah lau wehhhh.. it's been a long time :P

Martin Bradley said...

Giddy Tiger - I did, believe me I did download the form this time around, and guess what! The wonderful staff at Shah Alam would not accept the form and forced me to buy one from them.

I guess there is a difference in which of the two sides of the Dept. you go to - one for local of one for we aliens.

Anonymous said...

they need to cari makan selling the forms lah obviously. Happens everywhere. RM2, RM1 per form. Or per pages. Last week, I photostated approval letter at JPP (Jabatan Perkhidmatan Pembetungan - Sewerage Services Department) because the original letter which was sent never reach my office after waiting for months. Cost me RM6 for the letter. One side - RM1 :) Asked if can take it out for a while 5 mins to photostate downstair - Tak Boleh! (No Malaysia Boleh here?? :D :D)

Asyraf Lee said...

I find it strange that most of the immigration offices are pretty well hidden.

Anonymous said...

This is like we just send a man to the MOON or something. Wahhhh... government office services got better. Still got long way to go. Look at out Pos services and JPJ. (I guess getting passport out faster is good so we can have more people leaving the country fast!)

Its like building of our highways and government buildings. Only good for the first 2 years...and than...crack la, bocor la...all that shit come out and our tax money goes to waste!

ska said...

aloha everybody,
I just got back from Wangsamaju Imigresen. Came at 9.15 with 2 photos,1 IC copy and RM300. I downloaded the form but i forgot to fill it so, I just buy it lah from the counter..then i asked the staff there.. " Borang ni dgn yang download from internet tu, same ke? boley pakai kt sini?" she said "Borang tu BOLEH pakai di office lain, bukan di sini, sebab kami dah print siap2 BARCODE dia..this is trhe latest one which we dun have to stick a barcode.." See? I dun blame them to sell the RM1 form... Then, she gave nombor giliran 1046 (only have to wait 2 person from number 1044)lees than 1 minute, they called for thumbprints,less then 1 minute later - pay 300..then they said "Sejam siap.." (the clock shows 9.17..). Then I went to Ambank near Carrefour there..took me about 30 minutes..then back to the IMI office, time : 9.55...then I saje2 ask the guy with coat at the counter - like a supervisor in Hotel - he said "ni dah siap..pegi pick up kat counter sebelah.." OMG...less than 1 hour.. I already have a passport... this is THE TRUTH..

peace.

Kao Tim for me..... said...

Hi Mr Patrick

One and the only one here in BolehLand that can impressed u....
Yesterday went to renew my password which opposite Menara Milenium, as usual need to wait for next day to collect. This morning, reached there at counter 35 to get the "nombor giliran" with the lucky # 1064 and 3 behind where the current "giliran" is 1061. Unbelievable... 3 behind i have to wait for 40 mins then only my turn.... I observed the officer in-charge that counter and he was entertain 1 then walk around and suddenly disappear from the counter... was wondering is he went for Tani/YamChar?

So this is what BOLEH....


support this blog... post all ur complaint there...
http://complaintlar.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Correction, Patrick. The JIM is in Rampai Town Center, Taman Sri Rampai, Setapak. Its is facing Setapak Jaya across to main road. rdgs. CS

Anonymous said...

Hi there just wondering if i can have the address of the place? (to give to taxi driver). I tried going to tvsmith.net to get the address but i can't the search button to find the article.
Really appreciated!!!!

Anonymous said...

Hi,Patrick, just wondering if you are the same guy on some radio channel in the early 80s and famous for the Kee Huat radio? if so., good to see you around again.. or rather hear frm you again. Cheers,Peng

hati malaya said...

this link is good for your reference

http://t4tbh.blogspot.com/

Refreshing our mind with the article.

hcvvorld of Travels, Lifestyle and Photography said...

The same goes to Penang Immigration Dept as well...that is so far the one and only department in which I can really heap praises on them for their efficiency and speed.