Clarification about certified copies

I REFER to the letter by Charlie that was published in The Star yesterday (“Certified copies of documents not acceptable?”, Views; online at bit.ly/star_copies) in which he complained that a copy of his brother’s death certificate, duly certified as a true copy by a Commissioner for Oaths, was not accepted by the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) when he went to make a claim.

As a former Registrar of Births and Death, I wish to clarify for Charlie and interested readers that you can obtain an extract of a death certificate at the nearest National Registration Department. An extract issued by the Registrar of Births and Deaths is a valid document and will be accepted by all relevant authorities. Charlie can obtain any number of copies provided he pays the required fees.