Bureaucracy, bureaucracy, bureaucracy

24th December 2009

A day before Christmas...I am imagining in Britain there will be mad rush for shopping, people going off on holidays, cooking Turkey etc...but over here, life is as usual. No shopping stress or mad rush. (there's always mad drivers though)

Anyway, today was my first encounter with the government agency. Went to KDN at PutraJaya to get a document. I was warned many times by my friends about the bureaucracy here and boy! they do not dissappoint. This was my first encounter and every encounter after that was as bad as this one...There is always something that is not right, wrong forms, wrong documents, can't find the relevant documents, need more photocopying, need documents from another agency, the person dealing with the issue has gone for lunch and the list goes on and on....

Well...at least they were very friendly and polite. When they couldn't find the document I needed. They said to me "Puan, bertenang dulu" (ma'am, be calm) and that really made me more panicked. It so happened they couldn't find the document and I had to call back. They promised to try and find it as soon as possible. Anyway, fast forward a few days...finally they found the document a week later. Point is...if you're dealing with these kind of stuff you need a lot of patience and perseverence. It is truly character building. You need to truly self-reflect. I thought about a lot of things whilst I was waiting in that air-conditioned room, in a nice comfy chair...like

1. This wait is nothing compared to the wait in Akhirah. I am comfortable, I am sitting down, it is not hot, there's no sun on top of my head and me drowning in my sweat. It made me think a lot about myself and how I have been very spoilt.

2. Have I become a very demanding Westerner expecting things to fall at my feet? Everyone else is sitting calmly...waiting and waiting...Do I lack Sabr (patience)? Am I a spoilt-brat? Is making a fuss or being over demanding or complaining too much makes me...emm...British?

Anyway, I'm sure we require a more effective and efficient system but at the same time self reflection and remembering Akhirah is a good thing.

Some useful information about Government offices:
They are usually open by 8.30am
They close for lunch between 1 - 2pm
They close and everyone ready to go home by 5pm
Make sure you bring your ID card with you; you need it to enter the building.
Bring all documents necessary plus extra photocopies
If you are waiting for a specific document to be ready for collection, call first.
Always ask the name of the person you speak to on the phone for reference when you come to pick up your document.