Racing to get a number

Employers in Selangor, which hosts plenty of industries and factories, are making a mad dash to the immigration headquarters in Shah Alam to secure permits for their foreign workers. And they have to jump through hoops just to get a number.

PETALING JAYA: Employers have been in a frenzy to renew the permits of their foreign workers, leading to long lines at the Selangor Immigration headquarters.

According to employers’ groups, this has been going on for months since the government approved the hiring of foreigners in January to deal with the shortage of workers in Malaysia.

Bosses who had gone through the process described hectic scenes of rushing to get a number, as any delay would mean other applicants getting ahead of them.

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And if they miss out on this, they would have to return the next day and go through the process once more.

“It was like being chased by zombies in the movies,” said human resource officer Saw TC who had to run to make sure he was among the early birds.

He said that he had initially gone to the Immigration office in Putrajaya early this month but was told to go to the Selangor Immigration office in Shah Alam instead, as his company was located in Selangor.

Long wait: Applicants waiting at the Selangor Immigration office in Shah Alam. — AZMAN GHANI/The Star

“Several people I met also advised me to go as early as possible as the rush for a queue number would start very early,” he said in an interview.

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Saw said he arrived at Kompleks PKNS Shah Alam, where the Selangor Immigration is located, at 6am on May 10.

“It was still dark. There was no sign, so I asked the guards on duty. I was told to head to an entrance at the side of the building.

“It was one of the staff entrances and I was one of first few in line, which built up in no time,” he said.

While queuing, Saw said others advised him that when the shutter opens, he should “run as fast as you can” to the second floor, where the Immigration office handling foreign workers’ permit is located.

“They told me not to stop – how fast I run would determine whether I could get a number or not.

“True enough, when the shutter opened at 7.25am, everyone started running inside. Some took the lifts while others opted to run up the staircase,” he said.

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When he reached the Immigration office, Saw said he was shocked to see a long line already forming. He estimated that there were some 100 people ahead of him.

“Another entrance had opened,” he said.

In view of the rush, Saw suggested the Immigration Department allow for online appointments.

“Or perhaps we can have more counters handling different applications, or have more offices due to the overwhelming number of applications,” he added.

It is believed that this kind of crowds are only at the main Selangor office located in Shah Alam.

Jham Bahadur, a security guard at one of the mall entrances, said it was common to see a huge number of people at three of the five mall entrances on weekday mornings.

“Many people will come, pushing each other and running into the office. Some of them would beg me to be allowed in earlier, but I have to say no.

“My duty is to make sure they only enter when the office is open at 7.30am,” he said when met at the mall.

An Immigration official from the headquarters, when contacted, said he would seek input from his Selangor counterparts on the matter.