M’sia Public Service... Sighs!

We were in KL over the weekend and lost our passports. I believe I had left them in the safe in the hotel but despite checking with the hotel several times, they claimed they couldn't find it. Frankly, whenever I lost anything in Malaysia, I have absolutely no hopes of getting them back... And emotions apart, our reactions to the loss was worlds apart. It's during such crisis (or perceived crisis) that you get to see a persons real character. But well, let's not go there... what I want to write here is the difference in the efficiencies of the Malaysian and Singaporean public offices in handling the public. Here's some observations...

• Went to the police post to make a report. Was told I needed to go to the Special Branch in person to report the loss and to be interviewed before a police report can be made. This was because Singaporean passports are in high demand in Malaysia and they needed to interview me to make sure I do not belong to any syndicate... hmmm... don’t understand the logic but well, what the heck. I’ll do what I need to do to get back home.

• The interview process was straight forward but imo, the questions asked were no different from when I made the police report after that. They could have just asked the police to forward the police report to them... I also don't like how the "investigation" was done - the questions asked were, imo, irrelevant. "How come your passports together in one bag?" "How come you are in the same hotel room?" "Are you both single?" ... and it's not what's asked but how it's asked that made the world of difference...

• Drove from KL to JB and made a report to the Singapore General Consulate. Apart from an (initially) rude security guard, I thought the experience was generally good. Was greeted professionally by the staff and they explained nicely to me how the loss will be managed. The process was quite a breeze - filled in a form, asked to give them 2 hours to verify details and to return to collect my Document of Identity (DOI). The DOI would allow me to return to Singapore to get my passport replaced. And the staff patiently explained which document is for what and for who... from the accent of it, the staff is definitely Malaysian. But the experience is different.

• As for his passport, being a Malaysian, he had to head to one particular office (UTC) to get a passport replacement. Google map says it's opened from 8am but when we reached there, we were told they open at 1pm. I supposed Google map is not totally accurate. He decided to head to another office some distance away, only to be told they cannot handle his case and that he needed to go to another office (Malaysian equivalent of Singapore's ICA HQ) as his passport is still valid. And when he reached there, he was told his ID photo is old and he needs to change his ID first before they can entertain his request of a passport replacement... Goodness knows what else he needs to do before he can get his passport replaced.

I may be Singaporean but I really do not think I am biased in my views. Apart from efficiencies (or lack of it), I think there are a lot to catch up for the Malaysian public service when it comes to simple courtesies while carrying out their professional duties.