The Pakatan Harapan secretaries council said Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein must give an immediate explanation for the persistent long queues outside the Malaysian High Commission in Singapore.
The council members Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, Khalid Samad, and Liew Chin Tong said the need for Malaysian expatriates to queue for long hours outside the consulate is a shame to Malaysia’s reputation.
“The problem faced by our people in Singapore can be resolved by tasking more officers (to work at the consulate) as well as the clever use of technology, where necessary, so our citizens can resolve their problems online.
“It is very disgraceful to the country that technology is not used proficiently in such matters in 2021,” they said in a statement today.
The statement came after Singapore’s Straits Times reported that Malaysians had to queue for many hours outside the consulate to renew their travel documents.
The report quoted Malaysian expatriates claiming that the problem had been an ongoing issue since last year, and "everything is chaotic" regardless of whether one has made an advance appointment via email.
Others reportedly claimed that the queues lacked social distancing measures, and even wheelchair users and the elderly had to wait for hours under the hot sun.
Some could not file their applications online, as children and seniors are required to walk in.
Meanwhile, the Harapan council said it is also "heart wrenching" that Malaysians have to make a living abroad because their home country’s economy is unable to provide them with better pay.
“Harapan emphasises that the national economy needs to be driven dynamically, especially at this time, so Malaysians working abroad can be enticed to return,” they said.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.