Visit to the CMPB

To me, the CMPB has always been this elusive place that I have only heard of, and never visited. I would have expected the security to be high there, given that it's the Central Manpower Base. After my visit there yesterday, I can only say "tsk".

As all of you may know, we will be visiting Kukup soon (tomorrow, to be precise, and my bags are not packed yet..), and Kelvin has to extend his passport because he has not served the army, and their passports are like on a one year basis, you know. So every time we want to go overseas, he will have to extend his passport for another year.

Each time, my daddy would do it for him coz the CMPB was so near to our coffee stall. However, this time, the guard told my daddy that he (my brother) has to be there personally to do the extension...*grumble*.

Yesterday, it was my duty, therefore, to drive my brother there. What happened made me laugh. ha ha.

Ok. We went to the building, driving, of course. Here's the conversation at the gantry.

me: Hi, we are here to extend my brother's passport because we are going out of the country tomorrow.

guard: Oh. ok. This will be the CMPB.

me: Ok, Err, where do I park in order to get there?

guard: Before that, can you please open your boot for a routine check?

me: (gave him a receipt because we run a coffee stall, and of course we sell cigarettes. An invoice was needed to prove the legitamacy of the narcotics, lest I get hauled into jail for illegal possession of narcotics. ha). Here, we own a coffee stall, and this is the purchase of cigarettes for purpose of sales.

guard: Err, Ok. Here, you turn to you left, and park at Car Park C.

me: Thanks.

guard: No problem.



Ok. This was not the end of it. I understood the effort taken to ensure the security of the place. So we went in, and got to the car park, which was blocked. The guard saw us, and lifted the barrier to allow us to enter. What happened next was kinda funny.

After we parked, I saw this staircase that led up to the CMPB. Wanted to take it, but then there was this sign that said "No entrance. Please change for a visitor pass before admission". (not meant to be rude, but if the staircase is there not for use, then why put one there in the first place?)

Ok. And so, my brother and I walked toward the guard post, to get out visitor pass. When I pushed the door open, this guard asked me "what's the purpose of visit?"

I told him that we were here to extend my brother's passport. He then waved this sign in front of me, about A4 sized that said "visitor parking", and ASKED ME, "Do you have this in your car?" (what do you think?) I then said "err, no..."

He said "you will have to go and put this in your car, or it is unauthorized parking". (I mean, you had a gantry at the entrance of the carpark, and you lifted it up so that I could enter. How is that unauthorized parking?????!!!)

Bewildered, we took the paper to put on our dashboard, seeing that many cars did not have the paper. (Darn! They are all parked unauthorizedly!)

Ok. Fine. So we took the paper to the car, clipped the visitor passes to our pants, and then walked up to CMPB (finally). Took a queue number, waited. When it was Kel's turn, he went to the counter. This guy over the counter was even funnier. If the whole time I was there can be made into a comedy, it would be darn funny.

Ok. He told Kelvin that he needed his IC together with his passport in order to extend the passport for him. Then, this guy, instead of asking Kelvin where his IC was located (which was the logical thing to do, given that there were a few command guard posts around the place, went to the phone, and picked it up, and called some control post. Quoted the IC number, and then asked them where the IC was located. sigh. This is weird. IT's like as though Kelvin was some idiot who didn't know which command post his IC was, and had to depend on the guy to tell him where to go and redeem his IC back. =)

Alright. Kelvin went to the comman post to get his IC back, and that guard asked him "you mean they have your passport already, still need to see your IC ah?"

*Pause*. Now, this is the weird part. Question: Who would know more about the procedures in the building: Kelvin, or THE GUARD OF CMPB??? I really scratch my head and wonder why THE GUARD asked my brother this question, and made it sound as if it was OUR bloody fault that we have to run in and out of the building, to get the pass, and then INTO the buiilding, and then being told that the pass should not be found on my brother because the IC was needed for the extension of the passport ( I mean, come on. There is a reason why the guy at the guard post asked us the purpose of visit), and then going OUT of the building to redeem the IC back, in exchange for a sticker. sigh.

Now, this is weird. I really cannot comprehend the rationale behind these. Personally, I think these things are already beyond the realm of security. These are comedy.. ha ha.

I still think the guards there should know the procedures better than WE do. Maybe we can take over the position. hmm...

*tsk*.

Bye for now. it's off to Kukup and Beyond!

(The Progress Package is in, 4 days earlier than scheduled. Enjoy yourselves!!! I'm rich...Muhahahahaha!)