NRD - follow up

The fiasco in NRD was resolved with the help of the chief secretary to the Government. Hey, I have to say our chief secretary is impressively efficient and committed.

News is that the officer was transferred due to the incident. To be honest, I am disturbed and perplexed at the decision.
Should he be punished? I think not.
The fault, in my humble opinion, lies with the “policy maker”.
It is very often I notice that various public policies were announced over a social function, picked up by newsmen and published in the newspapers the next day. I often wonder whether they are policies or directives at all. So very often, they can’t stand the test of time or the test of reasonableness. Such policies also seem to have been made arbitrarily and without deliberation. They ended up being the general laughing stocks.
A quick check on the relevant department website also reveals that they fail to make full use of their website to make public their policies or directives. You see? Even if I do not wish to question the rational behind the said policy, I wouldn’t have known it if I do not go all the way to the department!
I also quickly surfed on Singapore Immigration website. Tell you, there is vast difference. You can tell, that one is from a developed nation. It even gives details of the photograph requirement, tell you when are the peak hours to avoid… Their website serves the purpose, not just a fashion.

Seriously, our public policies makers should not simply utter a so call policy as and when they like. All policies should have gone through proper deliberation.

National Registration Department

R: Selamat petang, encik. Saya nak buat MyKad.
KL: Tak boleh lah.
R: Mengapa?
KL: Pasal rambut kamu bukan warna original.
R: Eh, sejak bila rambut saya mesti warna original supaya nak buat MyKad?
KL: Memang gitu lah.
R: Tapi mak saya, rambut dia putih, masa dia buat MyKad, dia pun dye rambut dia hitam. Lagipun, kamu ingat rambut Perdana Menteri warna original ke?
KP: Cik, memang itu directive kita.
R: Kalau macam itu, saya nak sekeping directive bertulis.
KP: Eh, ikut ajalah directive kita, nak cabar pulak
KL: Tak apa lah, saya bagi sekeping nanti.
R: Saya bukan nak cabar, nak tahu aja.
KL: Tak apa, kamu tungu sebentar, saya bagi karang.

After about 20 mins, still no sign KL was going to get me a copy, I requested to see an officer.

Officer came about 10 mins later. A nice, soft spoken guy from East Malaysia. The first impression was good.

O: What is the problem?
R: The problem is your guys said I can’t make my ID because I must have my original hair colour.
O: That is true.
R: Oh ya? Why is such a rule? I have asked for a copy of such directive. But they can’t produce.
O: We can’t give you, it is P&C, for internal use only.
R: What, you have a directive to the public that is supposed to be a secret?
O: Yes.
R: This is bizarre.
O: (silent)
R: So, I have to wait for months or a year for my hair to outgrow the dye and have a hair cut before I come? That is the only way I can get back my original colour.
O: you can go and dye your hair now.
R: But you said I must have my original hair colour? I don’t even know the exact original hair colour to dye.
O: Don’t lie lah…. You can dye black or dark brown.
R: But you said original colour. If “black or dark brown” it is still no original colour.
O: Asian has to be black or dark brown
O: I tell you, you can go downstairs saloon, buy a spray, cost you less than RM10, spray the front oni, then we take your photo, after dat, you can wash your spray.
R: That is ridiculous, you said must have original colour, now you said, I can spray the front only. In that case, I better wear a wig for picture.
O: Oh, the polis will catch you.
R: Really?

I rest my case.

waiting to exhale

Waiting to exhale, just wait.