Just Bring Your Passport

Woodlands Immigration Checkpoint (WIC) is an immigration terminal located in the North of Singapore and intendedly as a checkpoint of Singapore-Johor Baru (Malaysia) borderline. WIC is a huge area. It has a checkpoint for bus transportation and train transportation as well. If you travel to Johor Baru (JB) in Malaysia to Singapore by bus or train (vice versa), you need to alight first at the WIC, proceeds to the immigration locket to show your identity (Passport etc.) and then board again in your transportation mode (bus or train) to continue your journey.

Yesterday i went to WIC because i want to know how to go to JB by bus. I need to know because i am going to JB in May and proceed my travel to Kuala Lumpur (KL). I thought the immigration things is very crucial and i feel i need a little preparation, so i decide to go to WIC and learn all the procedures and be prepare for it before my travel to JB and KL actually takes place.

Short story, i arrived in WIC and and i proceeded into the immigration counter to see the procedures. It was only a daily routine for an immigration process, from checking your`passport and everything, so i think there was nothing special that need my extra preparation. End of my mission.

Suddenly i feel something. I need to go to the rest room. The feelings was so strong and i looked around in a hope of a sign of "TOILET", but i just could not find it. And then the worst thing began. A female officer, in grey uniform, grabbing a handy talkie on her hand with an awkward hair style (A female with a KIPLI-Kiamat Sudah Dekat-hair style!! I think that was strange and ridiculous) approached me. She asked me what i was actually doing there, so i tell her that i need to go to the restroom. She said that the restroom is located after the immigration counter, so if i want to go there, i need to proceed to the immigration counter first for the immigration process. I said "Holy Sh**" (of course in my mind only), i did not bring my passport with me, so it was impossible for me to go to the toilet.

The officer-in-Kipli style asked for my ID and i gave her my student card, since it was the only ID that i had at that time. She asked for my passport and i said i did not bring my passport, she was starring at me suspiciously. She said "Please hold on Sir, i need to contact my supervisor first!". I cursed my self how could i got trapped in this kind of situation just because i want to go to the restroom. Every single person that walked pass me to go to the immigration counter started to starring at me, suspiciously, as if i were a drug trafficker-child molester-whatsoever. I hated that kind of situation and to make it worse, my needs to go to the restroom was still in a hurry. I condemned the immigration officer and stupid architect who put the toilet after the immigration counter . What was on your mind when you designed WIC!

After a long long long long time waiting for her supervisor and after she finished checking my identity in their computer database, they allow me to go. To where?Toilet?Of course not!! Since i did not bring my passport, they told me to search a public toilet outside the WIC, not in WIC. I did not want to argue with them so i cross the bridge and headed into the bus station to go to the nearest train station (because all the train station must have a toilet,for sure). The time i spent in the bus on my way to the "nearest" train station was 20 minutes. I said to myself, next time if i want to go to WIC or any immigration center, do not forget to bring your passport, regardless what you want to do there. If you do not bring your passport, funky immigration officer and stupid architect will make fun of yourself.