Losing my Passport

Here's my experiences after losing my passport during the trip to Malaysia last week... and this is a continuation of my previous post about the Malaysian public service. 

• He got a call from the hotel that they found the passport, just as he was queuing up and waiting for the Immigration Office to open. And it was thankfully so cos it was beginning to get stuffy standing outside the lift landing and everyone was getting a little impatient and agitated. We found your passport pouch underneath the blanket, the hotel staff said. hmmm, it was kinda weird cos they found our passport more than 24-hours after we checked out underneath the blanket... hmmm... anyway, we decided to drive up to KL again to collect the passports. It would be more important for him cos mine has already been terminated. We arrived in KL in the evening after some 4-plus hours drive, collected the passports and decided to check in for the night. 

• To be safe, we decided to call the immigration department to confirm if we need to cancel our earlier police report. No, came the answer. But to be sure, we were given another number to call, a number that was not attended and nobody answered. We gave up trying after some attempts. We drove back down to JB the next day (Wednesday), and at the customs, we were stopped and summoned to the office. Accordingly, my documents were verified ok and that I could go back to Singapore. But for him, the immigration officers said he had to make a police report to cancel his earlier police report (since he has found his passport). We obediently drove back into JB to look for a police station.

• Thankfully, there was a police post within 10min drive. When we arrived, the police officer said there was no requirement to make a report. After explaining that this was a requirement by the immigration officer at the customs checkpoint, he insisted there wasn't a need, nonetheless he re-drected us to another police station cos he has shut-down his system... so... we arrived at another police station and yet again was told there was no requirement to make a police report (to cancel the earlier police report). Yet again, we had to explain the need and grudgingly they eventually issue one that simply stated we want to cancel the report. 

• In our second attempt to clear the Malaysian customs, we were yet again stopped and summoned to the office. This time round, they said that although my documents were in order, I had to go to the Consular General Office of Singapore to get my found passport canceled before they could clear me. I was quite flustered by then. I called the Consular General's hotline and the staff assured me there was no need to. He asked to speak with the immigration officer and after some few minutes of conversation, I was cleared. He told me to call him back should they create any problems for me (how reassuring). We were eventually cleared to return to Singapore. I personally thought it was weird for a Malaysian immigration official to tell a Singaporean institution what to do... 

The experience at the Singapore customs was world of a different. 

• When we arrived at the customs, I handled over the documents and asked if my passport had been canceled and whether I can use the passport if it was still valid. The immigration officer smiled and said he will get his colleagues to confirm and to explain the process to me, should I need to replace my passport. I waited in my car and soon, 2 security personnel came. It was nice of them to clear the jam (which had build up by them) and escorted me as we made our way to the immigration office.

• At the office, I was greeted nicely by the immigration officers and ushered to a seat before they verified the validity of my passport. I was told the passport had been cancelled and that I should make a new one at the Immigration Office when I am free. With this, I was told I could proceed and make my way home. Simple, easy peesy. Efficient and pleasant experience, as always.

Anyway, my new passport will be ready by this coming Wednesday. Everything was processed and done at the Immigration HQ, all within half hour.