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Friday December 30, 2005

Last minute again

LONG QUEUE: Hundreds of Mykad applicants forming a beeline as they wait their turn at the National Registration Department in Jalan Sultan on Thursday.
KUALA LUMPUR: The National Registration Department’s nightmare has come true – it was a mad rush at all its offices throughout the country.

Thousands of Malaysians lined up outside its offices in a last minute effort to apply for their MyKad.

With the deadline expiring tomorrow, the crowds came as early as 5am at the Petaling Jaya NRD office and the queue stretched for about a kilometre along Jalan Sultan, while in Penang they were there before 7am.

Despite having three years to do so, these procrastinators jammed up the offices, and in some cases gave the overworked NRD staff a harrowing time.

At the Kepong NRD branch, a group vented their frustration at not being able to get a number for the day by hurling abuses at the officers.

However, the officers kept their cool and advised them to go to other offices where queues were shorter.

In a related development, Public Services Department director-general Datuk Seri Ismail Adam advised the counter staff not to be rude or pull a long face although it was the people's fault.

“Civil servants should understand by now that Malaysians always like to do things at the last minute,” he told reporters in Putrajaya.

Related Stories:
Abusive bunch forces Kepong branch to call in cops
A special counter for disabled and elderly
Mad rush to beat the deadline

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