A woman recently gained attention on social media when she shared her experience of renewing her passport at UTC Johor. She claims to have been belittled by a male immigration staff member because she wasn't fluent in the Malay language (BM) when renewing her daughter's passport.
When their turn came at the counter, the staff on duty asked about her daughter's age. Since her daughter wasn't fluent in BM, the woman responded in English, explaining that they are citizens but have been studying in Singapore since childhood. Despite being educated, polite, respectful, and understanding, the staff allegedly insisted that her daughter speak in BM, stating, "This is Malaysia. You are Malaysian, and you must speak in BM," with a stern tone.
The woman alleges that the staff seemed to insinuate that they could be mistaken for Singaporean citizens if they didn't know BM, saying, "Do you know BM here in Malaysia? Now even when you go abroad, like Taiwan, BM is important. Are you a PR (Permanent Resident) or a citizen? If you have a Malaysian IC and don't know BM, it's better to consider becoming a PR in Singapore. Don't stay in Malaysia; here, we don't speak English."
Despite explaining that they were not fluent in BM due to their education in Singapore, the woman claims she was scolded. She also shared a similar issue with another counter, where a female staff member didn't permit the renewal of her daughter's passport due to minor document-related issues. However, she managed to renew the passport with the help of a friend who knew an immigration officer.
Feeling discriminated against for not being fluent in BM, the woman advises others to bring someone who knows BM when dealing with such situations. As of the writing of this article, the Malaysian Immigration Department has not issued an official statement or response regarding the matter.
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