Malaysia, Truly Ass Yeah!

Have you seen a monkey swinging in mid air from branch to branch? That’s how they come to name a job which is being passed on from one to another in everyone’s attempt to escape having to deal with the job.

When dealing with government departments here, it’s taking the whole proverbial monkey management style to a whole new level.

I recently had to follow up some land compensation issues for my Father with the Department of Land. Two years ago, our local town council decided to take over some  plots of industrial land to construct road work. They offered compensation to the affected landowners, which my Father is one of them and of course we could not do anything but accept it.

Two years have lapsed and yet the cheque is yet to be seen. For the past year, we have been  following up on the compensation vigorously by making trips to the local land office every now and then.  Every time we are at the office, the same thing happens again and again. We wait for hours for someone to attend to us, only to be asked to come back again later because they can’t find the files, etc. etc.

Then I will get fed up and decide to call them instead. Guess what? A call will be followed by another and another, all in vain. To add salt to injury, come Chinese New Year, one of the senior officers, not so subtlely, asked my Father  to give the office some money in the spirit of the festive season. What a shocker, eh?

So anyway, last week, I paid them another visit. Only this time, I was told that I should deal with the Department of Public Works myself if I want to see the cheque soon.You see, since it’s a road construction project, the Department of Public Works is responsible for the payment of compensation but of course, it’s the Department of Land’s job to liaise and work it out with them.

I put my feet down  because I am not willing to get involved in this monkey business. When I told the senior officer that I would prefer her to follow up with the Department of Public Works, her patronizing smile turned sulky immediately.

I, however, took the initiative to call up the Department of Public Works just to see what’s the deal there and surprise, surprise! They need some time to find the file. Come on! Are we dealing with a bunch of imbeciles or what? They take our lands and they refuse to pay.

In the end, my Father concluded that we will never get to see the cheque this year because they will deliberately wait until Chinese New Year to get that annual “token” before moving their asses, if we are lucky.

Does anyone know where we can lodge a complaint on this without being victimised?

Yes, welcome to Malaysia, truly ass yeah!