ALWAYS CHECK YR PASSPORT BEFORE EXIT M’SIA CUSTOMS OR RISK 5000 RINGGIT FINE

This was what happened to me:

(7th August 2017)

I entered the Malaysia checkpoint with my friend in his car around 9pm plus today, handed the 2 passports to a malay officer to apply the entry stamps.
I collected the passports back, while my friend drove forward to pay for entry at the ‘Touch n Go’ gantry. As the machine was on the left, I assisted to tap the cashcard first for the gantry to open. While moving off from there, I was checking both passports for the entry stamps, and realised that my friend’s passport has the stamp but not mine.

When I wanted to ask my friend to u turn back, the car has just exited from the checkpoint. Hence I see no point in u-turning as we would be asked to use the Exit terminal instead and I understand that we would still be asked to go to the police custody room in order to have the issue settled. Hence we continued with our stuff in Malaysia first.

——–

Around 11pm plus, we made our way to exit from Malaysia checkpoint. I declared to the Exit checkpoint officer that the Entry checkpoint officer didn’t stamp my passport. He immediately pushed the blame to me saying that it’s my responsibility to check. I understood that, but apparently they were in the wrong too for not doing their job properly, hence I told him that something is wrong when I gave 2 passports but only 1 has the stamp right? He didn’t replied to that and went off to hand over the 2 passports to the police custody room and told me to go there.

At the room, this officer with the rank of 2 crests, told me the same thing that it’s my responsibility to check, and there is no proof that they did or did not stamp. He emphasized with example of money exchange, that it’s our responsibility to check before leaving. And said that I can be fined 5000ringgit for 2nd time offence. I replied him saying that I can identify the same officer who attended to our entry to Malaysia, but what’s the point if she doesn’t admit? And he said there’s no point cos maybe she alrdy changed shift. LOL what kind of stupid reason is this even?

He even told me, there’s a rule saying we need to check our passport before leaving checkpoint. Like seriously? Okay maybe there rlly is, but that’s more like a practise uh. I asked him for the black and white of that rule and they simply swept it off saying that I JUST have to check, like as if they are letting me off for a mistake that is solely from me, when they didn’t do their job properly in the first place.

Apparently this incident, the 1st offender is the checkpoint officer who failed to carry out her duty properly, and 2nd offender is me taking things for granted, slowly checking and not taking time to stop and check my stamps immediately before leaving the counter.

There is no way I can prove my innocence unless I rlly hire a lawyer but what’s the point, I will end up spending money and have to be withheld for a much longer time till my lawyer or whoever can bail me out from there. Hence I let him blabber awhile more, and told him okay, this will be the first and last time, cos I thought of all the above and decided I just wanna leave the place since I dont have to be fined for this time.

Serves as a good warning to always play safe, CHECK BEFORE LEAVING THE CHECKPOINT ITSELF. Be it BY CAR OR BY FOOT.