Passport renewal in just one day

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HE had to make the trip to get his job promotion but his passport expired in two weeks.

SERVICE WITH A SMILE: : A friendly staff member attends to enquiries from the public.

To make matters worse, the trip was scheduled on a Monday but he was only informed on the Friday afternoon prior.

Software engineer, Lee Yew Sin, 27, was in a dilemma. Missing the trip would mean the end of his promotion.

However, it was music to his ears when he heard that passports could be renewed in just an hour in Kuching, and to his utter relief and delight, the Immigration Office was also open during weekends.

The new system of the Immigration Department was a career-saver for Lee. He made the trip and got his promotion.

“I was impressed by the efficiency of the Immigration Department staff. I used to follow my mother to renew her passport and she was always ranting and raving about the delay. But nowadays, things have improved out of sight. It is a big step forward,” he said.

Like Lee, many still remember the waiting that took up almost the whole day, the slow moving queue of people waiting for their turns, the near empty counters and the three months wait for the documents to be processed.

At that time, there were no other options — passport applicants had to settle for a RM300 10-page book. That was the cheapest.

All this is history now. The Immigration Department has, through the inculcation of pro-active work ethics, attained a new level of efficiency and is determined to keep it that way.

But change did not happen overnight — turning over of a new leaf was gradual. And it took the department’s director, Datu Robert Lian, a good 14 years to reach the present level.

“We acknowledged the need to change and improve the system. This was imperative because we couldn’t afford to be stuck in a time warp,” he explained.

The introduction of biometric (machine readable) passports in 2000 was a splash and the turning point for the department.

Soon, ICT use was implemented, reducing processing time and manpower. For the first three months, it was 14 days, then it went down five days and just before the one-hour timeframe, it was three days.

As for the fees, the public are now offered two choices — the usual RM300 for a five-year validity and RM100 for two years.

“This will allow more people to travel in tandem with the many attractive offers from airline companies,” Robert noted.

Another plus is the department’s passport renewal kiosk set up last year. It was so well received by the public that even Home Affairs Minister Datuk  Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein was impressed.

Though the time taken to renew a passport is similar to that of the conventional method, the kiosk offers something more — the convenience of DIY (do it yourself).

The system has been overhauled to include other services besides passport processing.

Robert said the overall operation should now be more efficient. Services available are applications of work permits, permanent residence for foreign spouses, student visas and passes for the Malaysia My Second Home programme.

“All applications will be processed in the department within a month and then sent to the respective government departments for further processing,” he added.

The positive change is not only confined to the office but is also evident at the entry and checkpoints. Previously, long queues were a common sight at these areas but now, while there is still a queue, it’s fast moving and waiting is no longer a problem.

“We have to consider the interests of the stakeholders — the government and the public. Without them, we won’t be working here,” Robert said.

The implementation was the easy part but the execution required team effort, especially for a department labelled as laid back. Robert acknowledged that the changes would not have been possible without a conscientious staff.

Although various motivational workshops and seminars were organised, it wasn’t about talking but walking the talk, he stressed.

He also made sure deserving staff were promoted.

The employees were encouraged to advance themselves through distant learning and with the implementation of ICT, many seized the opportunity to broaden their knowledge.

For a good working environment, Robert said two-way communication is the key, adding: “There is no place for the out-dated practice of the boss talks and the staff listen.”

The positive ambiance in the Immigration Department has drawn kudos from the public. Well-treated and happy staff produce excellent work which, in turn,  gives the department a good name.