Johor Bahru –On June 26 (Wednesday), a Malaysian woman known as Ginelle Kyau went to Facebook to share her experience with an allegedly corrupt Johor Bahru (JB) immigration officer.

Ms Ginelle was travelling with her Singaporean friend and was departing Malaysia for Singapore when the incident happened.

Based on her post, a checkpoint officer had asked her friend, point-blank, for S$50 because of a missing entry stamp on her passport upon their arrival to Malaysia.

Ms Ginelle noted that the officer seemed unwilling to find out the root cause of the issue and to investigate which officer was careless in his duties.

He was, however, adept at the whole scenario and process, implied Ms Ginelle.

Her translated post can be read below:

I still can’t believe it. Malaysia still has ‘ghosts.’ This post shares my experience and to remind everyone to be sure to check your passports before leaving the checkpoint.

Me and my friend drove from Tuas to JB today and I did not check if there was any entry stamp placed on our passports. This became a ‘big issue’ on our way back (to Singapore) when a checkpoint officer directed us to his office because of the missing entry stamp on my friend’s passport.

The officer calmly asked why my friend’s passport didn’t have an entry stamp to which I asked in return why he didn’t ask his colleagues instead.

Shouldn’t there be a record of the scan?

After a quick check on the computer, it showed that there was no scan!

I suggested, along with my friend who was with me, that we find out which officer was negligent enough to scan my passport but not hers.

The officer brushed the suggestion aside and said there was no need – he trusts me leh! On what basis?

It made me wonder why he didn’t want to investigate the matter fully.

Instead, he gave us two choices:

1. We call the police, spend RM2 (S$0.60) and a lot of our time. (He also changed the sum to RM 100 (S$33) later on))
2. In short, we pay to settle the matter. The officer straightforwardly asked for RM150 (S$50).

For a Malaysian like me to witness this greed and corruption from someone in uniform is shameful. Taking the taxpayers’ salaries!

As a Malaysian, I apologise to my Singaporean friend.

I am ashamed that this happened!

Surely, 100 per cent, the Malaysian officer did this on purpose.

No response from Malaysia customs was included in the post.

To everyone departing Singapore, please be reminded to check your passports for the necessary stamps.