The long queue outside UTC Miri, with people queueing as early as 7am.
MIRI: Hundreds of people queued outside of the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC Miri) here to process their Identity Cards (IC), passports, bill payments, trading licenses and business permits when the counters open at 8am today.
The queue, which stretched over 1 kilometre (km) outside the building, could be seen as early as 7am.
Miri City Council (MCC) staff and enforcement personnel were present to manage the queue and divide individuals into a few lanes before being allowed to enter the building, with the council providing a canopy and plastic chairs at the building’s entrance while health and enforcement personnel waited there.
Hashiela Basri, from Kampung Bakam here, disclosed to The Borneo Post that she went with her son to apply for his IC.
Upon arriving at 8am, she said that the queue was already long, all the way up to the Miri Central Police Station’s five footway located beside the UTC Miri building.
“I came with my cousin, who also brought her son to come early, but upon arrival the queue was already long and we had to wait for our turn,” Hashiela said.
She decided to take the opportunity to come today and apply for her son’s IC as he was still on school holiday due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I hope I would not be standing here for more than a few hours as the sun is raising and it will be hotter at noon,” she added.
Meanwhile, Idris Moton who happens to be a person with disabilities (OKU) from Kpg Hj Wahed here said that he was queueing to apply for a new IC as his old IC was missing.
“I did not see any OKU lane so I just continued my queue,” he said, adding that he hoped the relevant authorities would announce a fast lane for OKU.
After being informed about Idris, the MCC staff brought Idris to the front of the line to cut the queue.
Ngau Ajeng from Ulu Baram said that he had come early to pay his trading license but the queue was already long when he arrived.
“I just have to join the queue or else it would be a waste of time for me to come down to Miri without renewing my trading license,” he added.
The Finance Ministry announced the reopening of UTCs in Sarawak on June 9 and opening hours are from 8am to 4pm.