PASSPORT

Recently I went to the Kajang Immigration Office with my hubby and Destinee to renew our passports and to apply a passport for Destinee. I had been gathering advices and information b4 going to the Immigration Office for fear of being ‘kelam kabut’. Therefore I was very well prepared. Anybody interested, these are the following procedures:

U have to get ready:
1) Two 5.0 x 3.5 cm photographs
2) 1 photastated copy of IC (do not trim – leave it as it is photostated)
3) Original IC
4) Old Passport
5) Be sure to know ur height cos u need to fill in ur height
6) RM300 for 32 pages

Child (under 12):
1) Two 5.0 x 3.5 cm photographs
2) 1 photostated copy of Birth Certificate
3) Original Birth Certificate
4) Photostated copy IC of either parent (mommy’s or daddy’s)
5) Be sure to know the height of ur child cos u need to fill in his/her height
6) Child has to be accompanied by either parent
7) RM150 for 32 pages

Advisable to have 1) and 2) done at the Immigration Office. There are counters providing the services. Be sure to wear dark-coloured clothes (for the taking of the photo). U need to wear a coat provided by the counter if u are wearing light-coloured clothes. Once u reach the Immigration Office, go to the counter (Kaunter Pertanyaan/Borang) to get a form which is RM1.00 each. U have to fill the form (if unsure how to fill, get help from the counter providing the photo session or there will be ppl who will be too willing to help u to fill but with a fee). After filling the form, attach the 2 photographs, 1 photostated and original IC, old Passport and go to/queue up at the counter to get ur Nombor Giliran. The officer will check ur particulars and a number (2 pcs) will be attached.

Find a place to sit and wait for ur number to be called (will oso be displayed on the board). When ur number is announced, go to the stated counter and surrender ur documents. (Destinee has to queue up too as she’s above 2 years but she has to be accompanied by me and so we are able to go to same counter as the special counter is for kids under 2 years old.) 1 pc of the number will be returned to u. Keep the piece of number (do not throw it away). Ur right and left thumbs will be scanned and ur right thumb print will be taken. (Destinee has to go thru the same procedure). Once they are done, u need to be seated again to wait for the number to be announced again. Go to the stated counter (Kaunter Bayaran) to pay the amount. A receipt will be issued – check ur particulars and the day of collection. Child must oso be accompanied by parent to collect his/her passport.

U can oso visit the following website to have a look at the form b4 filling in the original form – www.imi.gov.my/eng/forms/im_forms.asp

I’m not sure if u can use the printed copy of the form from the website cos a bar code will be needed at the top right hand corner and the code will be scanned at the Immigration Office when u surrender ur documents.

COLLECTION OF PASSPORT
On the day of collection, be sure to bring along the receipts and go to/queue up at the No. Giliran counter to get ur number. I showed the Officer-in-charge the 3 receipts (pappy, mine and Destinee) and I told her dat we are from one family and she gave me 3 numbers (attached together). Found our seats and waited for the number to be announced. Waited for about ½ hr before our numbers (consecutively) were announced. The 3 of us went to the Penyerahan Paspot counter. Handed the receipts and the numbers to the Officer-in-charge. She handed us our passports and was asked to sign on a page of the passport. As Destinee didn’t know how to sign, her little righthand thumbprint was printed instead. The Officer showed us a cover for the passport and asked us whether we would like to buy or not. We bought 3 and she slipped the covers into each passport for us. The cover was RM2 each. The passports were finally handed to us (together with the receipts – stamped “Pasport Diserah”).

MAID'S PASSPORT
Another information is regarding my maid’s passport. I haven’t taken my maid to anywhere out of the country before, I’ll be bringing her along to Singapore, so was a bit ‘blur blur’ about whether I should apply a visa for her. Cos there was no “Multiple Entry” printed on her Malaysian visa but on her Indonesian visa, there was “Multiple Entry” printed.

To clear my doubts, I asked a few travel agents and some told me I need to apply and some told me I need not. I took her passport to the Kajang’s Immigration Office to enquire. The answer was “tak pasti” and was advised to enquire from the Indon. Embassy.

My hubby brought the passport to the Indon. Embassy in Jalan Tun Razak and was told by one of the officer-in-charge dat we need to apply a visa for her to go out of the country! Still not convinced with his answer, I made up my mind to go to the headquarters Immigration Office in Putrajaya to enquire.

My neighbour, Christine, was kind enough to drive me to Immigration Office. As we were not familiar with dat place, we made rounds and rounds until ‘phew’ we made it to the place. Frankly speaking, I hate going to government departments.

When I reached the office, I went to the Information counter to enquire and was directed to go to the 2nd floor (maids’ section). On the 2nd floor, there was an Info. Counter, went over to enquire (the person seated there was not sure) and was told to go to the No. Giliran counter to get a number. So, got the number and waited to be called.

My turn came and went to the counter and showed the Officer-In-Charge the passport and asked her what were the procedures if I need to bring my maid to Singapore. She took the passport and flipped thru the pages and answered me with a smile, “Boleh, boleh. Boleh ambil maid ke luar negeri, tak payah buat visa”. Then I said, “Betul ke? U boleh check dengan teliti tak?” In fact I expected her to be impatiently and waited for her to “marah” me but SHE DIDN'T. She showed me the page where the visa was done in Indonesia with the “Multiple Entry” printed and told me, SMILINGLY once again, dat once it was done in Indonesia, the Multiple Entry will not be necessary here. Only when I renew her visa, the Multiple Entry will be entered in the Malaysian visa. So as not to make a fool of myself any further, I quickly thanked her.

Left the the Immigration Office with a RELIEVED MIND. At least I was CLEARED OFF the doubts which had been ‘haunting’ me.

Hee, hee, very long winded, rite?