Singapore Identity Document.

Just got home from BeiJing this morning and was very upset by the Money Changer at Singapore Changi Airport Arrival Hall.

Flew whole night just to get back home and so happen to met with an old couple, who came from China, BeiJing to visit their relatives. Unfortunately, none of their relatives arrived after they reached. Do not know what to do next so they approach me for help. After talking to them, I realize their relatives gave them a local phone numbers, ( in case of emergency ). I try to call the numbers but my hand phone battery went off. Knowing that they are going to stay in Singapore for a couple of weeks, they ask me to help them to get a calling card. Apparently, this is not the 1st time they been here because they knew which calling card to purchase. Seeing them in such a old age and just want to be nice. I told them to have a seat and I go and get them the Calling Card. That’s when things get absolutely wrong.

The Information Centre told me that I can get any type of Calling Card from any Money Changer, so, I approach one of them in the Arrival Hall. When I told them which card I would like to purchase, they just simply ask for my Identity Card. I told them I just got back from oversea and I don’t carry my Identity Card with me but I do have my Passport & my Driving License, ( both release/approved by Singapore Immigration ). To my surprise, they insisted that I MUST produce my Identity Card in order to purchase one pathetic Oversea/Local Call Card. I raise the question why ? They just replied me, this is our company policy and it is VERY STRICT, definitely MUST FOLLOW. In another words, a local who want to purchase a Oversea/Local Calling Card, MUST produce Singapore Immigration approved Identity Card. Read again, they said “MUST AND ONLY SINGAPORE IDENTITY CARD”, nothing else.

Maybe I am wrong, but to my understanding. Singapore Passport, released by Singapore Immigration. The security or whatsoever, is one level higher than the Identity Card. Yet this two nerds instead of giving me a proper answer. They just simply repeated themselves, “Sorry, the rules is very strict, we must follow”. Getting furious with what they said, I throw them another question. IF, this high security citizenship passport, can’t even purchase one pathetic Oversea/Local Calling Card. Am I suppose to get some refund from immigration ? Because the passport itself is handicap. No doubt it can let me get in and out another country border but I can’t use it to purchase one Oversea/Local Calling Card in my own hometown. The replied from them, again stir me up. “Sorry, this is a very strict requirements and we must follow”.

Damn this very strict requirements. This is not strict. This is Stupid. Making your own guy, your own citizen disgrace in front of others. I don’t think this is strict, I think is Stupid, very Stupid. I seriously do not understand who gave the Money Changer of Singapore the authority to decide what level of our Identity Document they will accept when we want to purchase, just a damn Oversea/Local Calling Card. Or maybe is it no one ever tell them. All Singaporean Identity Document come with proper info of the card holder ?