Thirty Three

THIRTY THREE (33) ? The queue number I got for my income tax to our country. No strange? I went there on night time about 9:00pm in order to secure my number is within allowable range for daily limit. Once I told my classmates from other country for going embassy at night, they are unbelievably star at me. Yes it is really happen to those who want to pay income tax to Myanmar in Singapore. I thought everything in Singapore goes in order and here most of people are very used to with the practice of queuing practice. I was surprising to see their patient regarding to a queuing. Some kind of queue can be as long as 100m or as last as overnight to reach a participant's turn. But they won't see bother for it if they think is worthy for their time.

Every public related office in Singapore normally use a queue machine for the attempt of easing its customer and people. It can be seen even at the private sector like a clinic or a restaurant. People will not necessarily need to argue for any unfair things. I don't know why our embassy don't have a queue machine to make our life easier and order. I don't think this machine is expensive and hard to buy. One machine can help in relief to not only tax payer but also staffs. It's value for money if our authority value in their time as well as its people's time. It's not easy to get a leave in here and it makes people rush and over-worry that add our life additional burden.

I went 3 days to pay my income tax. Believe it or not? First day, I carelessly went there and found it was Myanmar's public holiday. So I went again on 2 days later early morning and got my queue no at 132. I realized my number was useless when office open at 9:30am despite official operating hour start at 9:00am. Why? As soon as the office open, one counter staff announces that they will take into consideration for first 80 people only. It's mean my number 132 won't be entertained for the same day. I won't complain if they brought forward the number for consecutive day. But they insist I must restart again by coming another day. What a miserable experience? But it really happen to us. I frustratedly go back work and can't stop imagine of going another day and it looks a hell to me really. I was dead man walking on the return work. I don't know how to explain to my HR for another leave. They will probably think I am trying to cheat them. No choice but I will have to apply for another leave. That's why I needed to go 3 days to pay my income tax and it forced me to go on night time to take my queue number I dramatically grab "33". What a wonderful experience? No other citizen will have the same experience in life time, I believe.

In fact, we are not going our embassy to seek some helps. We are going there to pay our income tax and they are obliged to help us wherever possible. Why they don't want to take our money easily? Is there any daily limit amount to take for our country? There is another disappointing factor I heard that they are working until 12:00pm. What the hell is it? The official operating hour is 9:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm to 5:00pm. But they usually start work at 9:30am. How much are they working then? Working 2 and a half hour a day in the world's busiest country is really hilarious thing. I don't know if our authority from Myanmar really know this matter or not.

We, being immigrant workers, have already been enough pressure in life and work. If we cannot find a comfort zone in our own embassy's premises, where can we find our oasis in oversea. What is the meaning of paying tax to them? No point, right? Finally no wonder we are degraded and treated by other when we can't expect a good relationship from our own authority. Wish they will know it sooner than later and make necessary corrective action in favor of those who faithfully pay tax to country. We always read a lot development in the domestic media as well as intention of leaders in going forward. How do we move forward with a 19th century method to catch up our neighbour developing countries? This is just a mere thing to be mind and I believe we have to accept in change if we really want to improve our country. Even if US needs to change as Obama said, why need not for a plight country like ours? Hope to see a positive change rather than a negative that can drag back our already far behind country.