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Response to “Different responses to mix-up at ICA” (The Straits Times, 3 Feb 2009)
ICA mix-up: Sorry for poor service
The Straits Times
16 Feb 2009
I REFER to the letter by Mr Peter M. Jansen, 'Different responses to mix-up at ICA' (Feb 3).
We apologise for the unpleasant experience Miss Jansen encountered at the Passport Unit at the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Jan 29. ICA is committed to providing good service to the public at all times and is naturally concerned with any feedback on service gaps.
We agree with Mr Jansen that the interviewing officer attending to his daughter could have been more attuned to the nature of the request. Arising from this feedback, we have since counselled the officer.
We thank Mr Jansen for taking the time to bring the issue to our attention as this gives us an opportunity to improve our services to the public.
Chia Hui Keng (Ms)
Head, Public & Internal Communications
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
Different responses to mix-up at ICA
The Straits Times
3 Feb 2009
LAST Thursday, my daughter had to visit the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to have her new passport endorsed. This situation came about because she had collected her new passport on Wednesday and her old passport was retained by the ICA. She was told that this was necessary as she had become a Singapore citizen after she had reached the age of 21 and the old passport would be retained. No receipt was issued for the old passport.
My daughter was unaware that the old passport, or some form of information about it, was needed on the new passport to show officials at the Australian High Commission to confirm her student visa. After my daughter explained that the ICA had kept her old passport, the High Commission kindly agreed to a letter from my daughter stating that the old passport was held by ICA. She had to have the letter endorsed by the ICA.
But at the ICA, the officer who attended to her refused to endorse the letter, insisting that it was not possible that the staff member who released the new passport to my daughter had kept the old one. The officer suggested that my daughter had probably misplaced the old passport and suggested that she look for it again. She also refused my daughter's plea to locate the staff member who had given her the new passport, suggesting instead that my daughter check each counter to find out if the officer was on duty.
Frantic with worry, as she was supposed to leave for Australia last Sunday, my daughter approached Ms Bee Bee Jan who, together with Ms Rosminah Tahar, checked the computer, found out why the old passport was held back and immediately obtained a senior officer's endorsement. My question is, why couldn't the first officer do what Ms Jan had done? Was the first officer ignorant or simply unwilling to empathise with a fellow citizen whom she could have helped?
Thank you Ms Bee Bee Jan and Ms Rosminah for going that extra mile.
Peter M Jansen
The Straits Times
16 Feb 2009
I REFER to the letter by Mr Peter M. Jansen, 'Different responses to mix-up at ICA' (Feb 3).
We apologise for the unpleasant experience Miss Jansen encountered at the Passport Unit at the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Jan 29. ICA is committed to providing good service to the public at all times and is naturally concerned with any feedback on service gaps.
We agree with Mr Jansen that the interviewing officer attending to his daughter could have been more attuned to the nature of the request. Arising from this feedback, we have since counselled the officer.
We thank Mr Jansen for taking the time to bring the issue to our attention as this gives us an opportunity to improve our services to the public.
Chia Hui Keng (Ms)
Head, Public & Internal Communications
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
Different responses to mix-up at ICA
The Straits Times
3 Feb 2009
LAST Thursday, my daughter had to visit the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to have her new passport endorsed. This situation came about because she had collected her new passport on Wednesday and her old passport was retained by the ICA. She was told that this was necessary as she had become a Singapore citizen after she had reached the age of 21 and the old passport would be retained. No receipt was issued for the old passport.
My daughter was unaware that the old passport, or some form of information about it, was needed on the new passport to show officials at the Australian High Commission to confirm her student visa. After my daughter explained that the ICA had kept her old passport, the High Commission kindly agreed to a letter from my daughter stating that the old passport was held by ICA. She had to have the letter endorsed by the ICA.
But at the ICA, the officer who attended to her refused to endorse the letter, insisting that it was not possible that the staff member who released the new passport to my daughter had kept the old one. The officer suggested that my daughter had probably misplaced the old passport and suggested that she look for it again. She also refused my daughter's plea to locate the staff member who had given her the new passport, suggesting instead that my daughter check each counter to find out if the officer was on duty.
Frantic with worry, as she was supposed to leave for Australia last Sunday, my daughter approached Ms Bee Bee Jan who, together with Ms Rosminah Tahar, checked the computer, found out why the old passport was held back and immediately obtained a senior officer's endorsement. My question is, why couldn't the first officer do what Ms Jan had done? Was the first officer ignorant or simply unwilling to empathise with a fellow citizen whom she could have helped?
Thank you Ms Bee Bee Jan and Ms Rosminah for going that extra mile.
Peter M Jansen