He loses passport, M'sian immigration says he overstayed a year
- Thu, Jan 01, 2009
The New Paper
By Arul John
HIS motorcycle was stolen in Johor Baru - and that was just the start of his troubles.
Mr Abdul Razak Saman, 24, had left his Singapore passport in a compartment of the motorcycle.
When he tried to return to Singapore, he was shocked to find Malaysian immigration officials accusing him of overstaying in the country by a year.
He said he and a friend, Mr Ahmad Qamarul Zaman, 20, entered JB at 2am on Sunday.
Mr Abdul Razak, a property officer at Laguna Park condominium, told The New Paper on Monday that he and his friends would travel to Johor nearly every weekend to go surfing at Mersing.
On this Sunday, they returned to JB in the evening.
He parked his motorcycle outside Plaza Kotaraya shopping centre at 7.15pm.
Mr Abdul Razak said: 'Before entering the shopping centre, I put my passport in a compartment of the motorcycle. Mr Ahmad put his wallet and passport inside as well.'
This was what he had done on previous trips. But this time, when they came out around 8pm, the motorcycle was gone.
Mr Abdul Razak called his girlfriend, technical executive Hamidah Razak, in Singapore. She advised him to make a police report.
After reporting to the police, the two men took a bus to the immigration checkpoint.
There, Mr Abdul Razak was told that he had overstayed in Malaysia for more than 365 days.
'I told them that what they were saying was ridiculous as I had entered Johor Baru from Singapore just earlier that day,' he said.
'But the officers said their records showed I had overstayed and an argument started.
'When I showed the officers my police report, they said I could not leave Malaysia because I had no travel documents.'
The friends were told they had to go to the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur to get replacement documents before they could leave.
By then, it was 11pm.
They decided to stay overnight in JB, but Mr Abdul Razak had only RM40 ($17) with him while his friend had no money because his wallet was in the stolen bike.
Fortunately, they were able to stay with a friend in JB.
On Monday, Mr Abdul Razak and Miss Hamidah called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) for help.
He also told his boss he was unable to go to work Monday and Tuesday.
Mr Abdul Razak said the MFA told him that it would do its best to help them.
'But the ICA said it could not help us as we were not on Singapore soil,' he added.
'We were told to go to the high commission in KL to get replacement travel documents.'
Mr Azahar Abdul Malik, the elder brother of Mr Abdul Razak Saman.
He also called his elder brother, Mr Azahar Abdul Malik, for advice.
Mr Azahar said his brother often goes straight to work after one of his surfing trips.
'My brother lives with my mother. I did not think much of it when my mother told me he had not returned home on Monday.
'When he called and told me what had happened, I was shocked,' he said.
Mr Abdul Razak called the high commission and made an appointment for 9am Tuesday to get temporary documents for him and his friend.
The high commission was closed Monday as it was a public holiday in Malaysia.
They left for KL by bus on Monday night.
An ICA spokesman told The New Paper that it was unable to help Mr Abdul Razak and Mr Ahmad Qamarul as they were on Malaysian soil, and had allegedly committed an offence under Malaysian law.
But she said it would help them enter Singapore after leaving Malaysia.
The spokesman said temporary travel documents could not be issued at the checkpoints but only at ICA headquarters or at Singapore missions overseas.
The Johor state immigration director, Mr Mohd Nasri Ishak, said any foreigner who loses travel documents in Malaysia must lodge a police report and get replacement documents from their missions.
-------------------------------------------------
This is the result of a single party government (for over
40yrs). Your vote, voice or feedback is not required.. likewise your status and rights as a citizen.
What would happen if you are Australian citizen ? Your guess is as good as mine
- Thu, Jan 01, 2009
The New Paper
By Arul John
HIS motorcycle was stolen in Johor Baru - and that was just the start of his troubles.
Mr Abdul Razak Saman, 24, had left his Singapore passport in a compartment of the motorcycle.
When he tried to return to Singapore, he was shocked to find Malaysian immigration officials accusing him of overstaying in the country by a year.
He said he and a friend, Mr Ahmad Qamarul Zaman, 20, entered JB at 2am on Sunday.
Mr Abdul Razak, a property officer at Laguna Park condominium, told The New Paper on Monday that he and his friends would travel to Johor nearly every weekend to go surfing at Mersing.
On this Sunday, they returned to JB in the evening.
He parked his motorcycle outside Plaza Kotaraya shopping centre at 7.15pm.
Mr Abdul Razak said: 'Before entering the shopping centre, I put my passport in a compartment of the motorcycle. Mr Ahmad put his wallet and passport inside as well.'
This was what he had done on previous trips. But this time, when they came out around 8pm, the motorcycle was gone.
Mr Abdul Razak called his girlfriend, technical executive Hamidah Razak, in Singapore. She advised him to make a police report.
After reporting to the police, the two men took a bus to the immigration checkpoint.
There, Mr Abdul Razak was told that he had overstayed in Malaysia for more than 365 days.
'I told them that what they were saying was ridiculous as I had entered Johor Baru from Singapore just earlier that day,' he said.
'But the officers said their records showed I had overstayed and an argument started.
'When I showed the officers my police report, they said I could not leave Malaysia because I had no travel documents.'
The friends were told they had to go to the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur to get replacement documents before they could leave.
By then, it was 11pm.
They decided to stay overnight in JB, but Mr Abdul Razak had only RM40 ($17) with him while his friend had no money because his wallet was in the stolen bike.
Fortunately, they were able to stay with a friend in JB.
On Monday, Mr Abdul Razak and Miss Hamidah called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) for help.
He also told his boss he was unable to go to work Monday and Tuesday.
Mr Abdul Razak said the MFA told him that it would do its best to help them.
'But the ICA said it could not help us as we were not on Singapore soil,' he added.
'We were told to go to the high commission in KL to get replacement travel documents.'
Mr Azahar Abdul Malik, the elder brother of Mr Abdul Razak Saman.
He also called his elder brother, Mr Azahar Abdul Malik, for advice.
Mr Azahar said his brother often goes straight to work after one of his surfing trips.
'My brother lives with my mother. I did not think much of it when my mother told me he had not returned home on Monday.
'When he called and told me what had happened, I was shocked,' he said.
Mr Abdul Razak called the high commission and made an appointment for 9am Tuesday to get temporary documents for him and his friend.
The high commission was closed Monday as it was a public holiday in Malaysia.
They left for KL by bus on Monday night.
An ICA spokesman told The New Paper that it was unable to help Mr Abdul Razak and Mr Ahmad Qamarul as they were on Malaysian soil, and had allegedly committed an offence under Malaysian law.
But she said it would help them enter Singapore after leaving Malaysia.
The spokesman said temporary travel documents could not be issued at the checkpoints but only at ICA headquarters or at Singapore missions overseas.
The Johor state immigration director, Mr Mohd Nasri Ishak, said any foreigner who loses travel documents in Malaysia must lodge a police report and get replacement documents from their missions.
-------------------------------------------------
This is the result of a single party government (for over
40yrs). Your vote, voice or feedback is not required.. likewise your status and rights as a citizen.
What would happen if you are Australian citizen ? Your guess is as good as mine
