S'porean woman travelling with kids and grandma says Malaysian immigration officers treated her rudely
Rhea
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A Singaporean woman claims she was treated rudely by Malaysian immigration officers during a routine trip to Johor Bahru.
Stomper Rhea, who was travelling with her 80-year-old grandmother, two young daughters, aged four and three, and her helper, said the incident occurred at the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine Complex (CIQ) on May 29.
According to her, she handed five passports to a female officer at the counter, who asked for her helper's arrival card.
"I didn't know Malaysia still required it because the QR code poster that used to be displayed at every counter had been missing for a while," Rhea explained.
"I told her I didn't have the card and that my phone's Wi-Fi wasn't working yet."
The Stomper says the female officer responded rudely: "Not my concern."
She was in the car for five minutes, trying to figure out a solution, but claims the officer did not offer any assistance or alternative solutions.
"I suggested that I park my car and ask someone for a Wi-Fi hotspot, but she didn't let me," Rhea recalled.
"Instead, she just kept saying, 'Not my concern.'"
In a bid to resolve the issue, the Singaporean told the officer that she had been allowed through previously when facing similar problems. But the officer responded harshly, saying, "I'm the officer here."
"I told her that I'm not an outsider, that my mother is Malaysian," Rhea shared.
"That's when she started screaming at me, pointing her fingers. Her voice was so loud that the people in the car next to us poked their heads out to see what was happening."
The Stomper's grandmother also tried to intervene.
"She begged the officer to help, saying her great-grandchildren were asleep but the officer didn't care," she said. "That's when I pointed my finger and told her not to be rude to my grandmother."
The situation escalated further, and Rhea was eventually asked to proceed to the immigration office to resolve the matter. Once there, she claims a male officer interrupted her while she was explaining the issue.
"He kept saying that I had been sarcastic to his officer," she said. "He also said that Malaysia had not announced the discontinuation of the arrival card requirement, and that I should have known better."
The Stomper admitted she had made a mistake by assuming the arrival card was no longer needed, as the QR code poster was no longer visible at the counter.
"I apologised for not checking," she explained. "But the way the female officer spoke to me was completely uncalled for."
The male officer seemed to take a more measured tone, saying, "I can't accept it if people are rude to my officers, but I also cannot accept rudeness towards elders."
Despite this, Rhea found herself feeling more and more frustrated.
"I'm not rude by nature, but when someone is rude to me first, I am not going to keep quiet about it," she said. "She insulted me, and I felt like I had to stand up for myself."
The Stomper also pointed out the lack of Wi-Fi services for travellers entering Malaysia, comparing it to the convenience of Singapore's immigration counters, where free Wi-Fi is available for those who haven't purchased a local SIM card.
"At least Singapore's officers maintain professionalism," she remarked.
"It's not about comparing countries, but I just felt the difference in the level of customer service."
After managing to borrow Wi-Fi from a fellow Singaporean traveller, Rhea was finally able to complete the arrival card.
"When I went back to the officer, he just handed me back our passports and let us through," she said. "But the whole experience left me traumatised.
"It was unnecessary, and the way we were treated was so unfair."
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