I did some homework by browsing through the official website of Immigration Department and was glad to find out that priority counter is prepared for baby, disable and senior citizen above 60. To avoid the hassle of applying leave, we chose to go to Kelana Jaya Immigration Office as it opens on Saturday and Sunday.
Bringing along all the necessary documents with us, we appeared at the immigration office at 0830 am on a Saturday. Unfortunately, we were told that the priority counter was closed on Saturday and Sunday. Since it is impossible for us to endure the long queue with a baby with us, we decided to come back in one of the weekdays.
On the following Wednesday, we were back at the same immigration office at 0900, after enduring more than an hour traffic jam on LDP highway. Again, luck was not with us, we were told that the system was down and no one knew when could the system be fully rectified. One of the officers asked us to call other immigration offices to check if their system was working. My husband tried to call offices at Jalan Duta, Shah Alam and even Putrajaya several times. After numerous attempts that led to unanswered or engaged line, we decided to stay back at the same office to see if the system would be up again. We were also told that the application form that we downloaded from the immigration official site was no longer in use, instead we were given a simplified form to fill in.
At 1030 am, it was a great news to know that the system was up again. Without proper queue line, the patrons flocked to the counter to get the numbers. My husband managed to get one, but shortly after we realized that the number given was not for the priority counter for baby and senior citizens even though he specifically told them the passport is meant for the baby. Again, he had to go back to the counter to get a new priority number.
However, very soon we found out that it did not help us at all by having that priority number. This was because we noticed that, with 5 counters for normal numbers and only 1 for priority, the turn over rate for the normal number is so much faster that the so-called priority number. Immediately, I looked across the waiting hall and started to do my rough calculation. There were about 30 normal patrons and collectively about 10 babies, senior citizens and disable people. Do your own math, who was actually having the privilege? Not to say that there are another 5 closed counters with lady officers doing nothing but chit-chatting and giggling among themselves.
While waiting, I snapped a picture of the waiting hall. As soon as i did that, I was escorted by a security guard to go behind one of the closed counter to see one of the ladies who was doing nothing. My husband tried to follow me but was immediately prohibited to go behind the counter.
Well, the lady started to threaten me as if I was an uneducated fool who did not know my rights in a democratic country. She told me that it was a crime to snap picture in an immigration office and confronted me that if I have anything to complain, I could have complain directly to them but not by snapping picture. Before I could explain anything, she said she would call a police to arrest me. I told her that I was not aware of this rule and the reason I snap the picture was simply to commemorate the experience of my baby making his first ever passport. She soon asked me where was my baby? I pointed to baby Jaden who was sitting in his grandmother's arm, they were sitting at the 1st row all the while , which was merely 6 feet from the service counter. She then commanded me to delete that picture and proceed to 'counter 4', which was closed at that time. I told her 'counter 4' was closed, why should I go there? She just replied : Pergi dan tunggu! (Go and wait!).
What happened next was the same lady personally attended us at counter 4 and processed our application as smooth as breeze! We did not need to queue up!
Less than 5 minutes later, we made our payment (RM150 for 5 years for baby) and was asked to come back to collect the passport after 3 hours.
Overall, what happened to us may just be an isolated case. However, there is only one word that I could thought of to describe my very own experience: "UNDESIRABLE". But, one thing for sure is I will laugh every time I look at Jaden's passport, because his mother was threatened to be thrown to the jail in exchange for this little red book......and I also believe that this experience could only happen in my beloved home country.
