Senin, 02 Februari 2009

Unpleasant experience at Immigration Checkpoint Singapore


On January 31, 2009, I went to Singapore with my family for holiday. It was a lovely Saturday morning. We took Wavemaster Ferry from Harbour Bay to Singapore. The journey, though enjoyable, was uneventful until we arrived at the Immigration Checkpoint Singapore. I have unpleasant experience at the checkpoint which was unexpected incident.

We arrived at the checkpoint at about 12.55 pm. I showed my passport to the immigration officer and nothing happened until my kids in turn. My husband showed his passport and the immigration officer asked him to go to the office. While waiting for my husband, I was asked to another officer for the reason of my husband’s passport. She said that they need to interview my husband in the office. She asked, did ever my husband’s passport lost? I said, never.

We waited for 15 minutes. We began to feel anxious and I started to ask again a few officers at the booth about my husband but they all ignored me. For over 15 minutes, there was no one willing to communicate with me. I was worried but I remained calm.

After waiting for 30 minutes, finally I saw my husband came out from the office. I went to my husband and again the officer asked him from her counter. I was complaint to her that we always faced this problem while in Immigration Checkpoint Singapore. I was expected that they can give us a good explanation but another officer has interrupted and said unpleasant reason.

In all my years of travel, I have never had such a traumatic encounter with the police or immigration officers of any country. They were uncaring, unfriendly and unsmiling. Accepting that they could not communicate with me, they could at least be friendlier as they have to supporting Singapore Visit Tourism.