Mad rush to renew passports

 

No time to waste: People inquring about the procedure to renew their passports at UTC Komtar, in George Town, Penang. — K.T.GOH/The Star

GEORGE TOWN: It was barely dawn but the Immigration Department counters at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) in Komtar here was already crowded.

But for the parents, they did not mind the long queue as they wanted to get passports for their children, now that the school holiday has begun.

Supervisor Eelin Kok, 44, considered herself lucky to get a queue number as only 200 were given out daily at the counters for walk-in applicants.

“We came at 7.45am and there was already a long queue.

“I foresee I’ll be spending the whole day here as my number is still far off,” she said when met at the UTC in Komtar at 10.45am yesterday.

Her plan was to get passports for her two daughters, besides collecting her own as well.

Kok had renewed her passport online earlier.

“Since I was coming over to collect my passport, I thought it would be best to bring my daughters along and have theirs done as well.

“They must be present in person and since it is the school break, it is easier to get them there,” she added.

A man, who wished to be known as Tan, said he turned up at 6am and found that there were already about 100 people ahead of him.

He was there to renew his son’s passport.

Tan said that he had even checked out the Immigration Department office in Seberang Jaya yesterday but the crowd was equally huge there.

“I wish they could open up more counters. There are not enough seats as well,” said Tan, who needed to get a passport for his son as he was planning a family trip for the school holidays.

Teacher Nur Fithrah Muhd Fitry, 29, was also spotted at the UTC to help her mother renew her passport.

Her mother intends to perform the umrah.

“I knew it would be crowded but I did not expect it to be this bad. We were one of the last few people who received the walk-in numbers,” said Nur Fithrah.

She found the long wait to be exhausting.

“What’s worse is that we have to stand as there are only limited seats available.”

“I believe I’ll have to be here till evening,” she said.

A representative of the Immigration Department said only 200 queue numbers would be given out daily.

“There is no age limit when it comes to walk-ins, but we encourage the public to try applying online first.

“If you want to walk in, you need to be early as some people would turn up by 5am.

“Once we have given out 200 queue numbers, you’ll have to come back the next day,” he said.

The representative said the department had been attending to large crowds daily.

“Lately it is always crowded. It could be parents wanting to bring their children overseas during school holidays,” he said. - Star