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I have been follwing your blog with great interest for sometime. I feel the need to write this comment. While sharing timbalan pengarah's name and directly pointing the finger at someone might seem to be a transparent and straight forward thing to do, the receiving party who feel shamed and surprise. Jeff you are not a big time minister now, such actions close down all doors. It doesn't help to build good relationship. How do you expect the timbalan to response in a positive manner after directly shaming her in public.

Ministers should take this behind close doors. We need to see a government that is willing to work together to resolve issues. Texting her personally was the right thing to do... the next thing is await a response and not blog about it. Stop building walls and pointing fingers... be the bigger man here.

JEFF OOI says: Someone must take responsibility. No if no but. The snafu at the Penang International Airport must go to the highest officer in charge of the station, The Immi Dept at the Penang International Airport, which is the international gateway for travellers.

Resolve the issue... no more pointing fingers... allow ppl a change to fix things... show them respect and they will show u the respect back... you have a powerful blog... with great powers comes great responsibility. What could you have done differently so the party can response in a positive manner??

JEFF OOI says: No apologies but I ain't no Hasan Ali. Instead, I shall remain committed to the same familiar motto in life: "The buck shall stop here." As a full-time political worker, I know my duties and my limit. However, I also keep reminding myself that I am not on a popularity parade to gain brownie points with the folks out there while old problems and tidak apa attitudes remain like stubborn stains. If it's time to get booted in election then so be it. I have done my part while I was elected there.

The question is thus, where does the buck stop for THEM? Or do they even bother with the question? That's what I would like to ask government servants. Lousy service is considered a norm; when did that start?

I had no idea that Hasan Ali's pandering to the miscreants in government service could have so many supporters !

They take their pay home every month (of this I have no doubt) so surely their service could be at least to the minimum standard required.

If Jeff is willing to relinquish his position to do his job right, maybe we should extend the same courtesy and offer the bloated government bureaucracy the same.

I concur with Broadband.

I don't know how the immigration department works. If the immigration officers are required to work at 5 a.m. are they paid an allowance? Who pays them? What if the party responsible for paying has not fulfilled its obligations. Has there been any communications on this.

I think we need to know the answers to the above and others before we start pointing fingers. Everything is not always black and white, there are always shades of gray.

Some airlines have been known to owe the airports management a massive amount of money and were so busy flying the aircraft that they have no time to maintain them.

JEFF OOI says: Take it from me as an elected representative from Penang. Penang International Airport is an international airport which operates around the clock catering to international arrivals. Around-the-clock international arrivals warrant around-the-clock Immigration officers on duty to clear cross-border passes. This is not hearsay but something gazetted. In reality, there are few international flights arriving after midnight at Penang International Airport, except the cargo flights which usually arrive around 4.00am, whose crew members need to be cleared at the Immigration. So the issue here is: Has the gazetted requirement for Immigration services at the Penang International Airport been violated. The answers is YES. Since the answer is YES, where should the buck stop?

I would support Jeff Ooi's way because there are certain duties which cannot be compromised. Immigration is one of them, otherwise national security will be compromised. It would be expensive for airlines to pander to the whims and fancies of government departments.

I guess, the problem lies with having government staff of almost exclusively one race. Soon after, Hari Raya holidays, cashiers manning GLC TNB and Lembaga Air Perak counters in Batu Gajah were Indians, one probably on relief duty from somewhere else.

To broadband, how long do we have to live with the tidak apa attitude of those in the civil service. Their salary and perks are being paid by the rakyat and yet they not only not doing their job but they are giving the country a bad bad name. With such performance despite PM's slogan of People First Performance Now, you still want Jeff to go easy on these people and use the 'jaga air muka' approach?

Come on broadband, if you are on the flight, will you be still be smiling to the immigration officers for turning up work late, based on their own sweet time? Stop being a nice guy, we don't owe these little napoleons a living.

Jeff, next time you let off your steam, let off mine too.

Broadband,
What if you were in the flight and being stranded due to immigration closed? What if you have the next flight to connect for next destinations and if you miss the next flight's sector due to immigration closure?

Zakk,
Immigration officers are Government Servants, can't be paid by the airlines. To answer to your statement:
"I don't know how the immigration department works.(Penang International Airport has been declared as 24Hrs operation) If the immigration officers are required to work at 5 a.m. are they paid an allowance? (On Government payroll) Who pays them? What if the party responsible for paying has not fulfilled its obligations. Has there been any communications on this. (You must be confused with the debt AirAsia owes to MAB?)".

Well, all should be aware on the declaration made that Penang International Airport operates on 24Hrs. 28.09.09 was not the first AirAsia Penang - Hong Kong SCHEDULE flight.

If may try the published official 24Hrs telephone for Penang International Airport: 04-6434411 / 04-6430373.

Zakk,
Your statement: "Some airlines have been known to owe the airports management a massive amount of money and were so busy flying the aircraft that they have no time to maintain them".

You have deviated out of the topic, MACC confirms that airlines cant pay to Immigrations for passport clearance at the Airport. They on obligated to such National Essential Service.

What you may confused must be the statements on AirAsia owes to MAB - An Airport Operator, a GLC. Thus, please don't follow Broadband naive's statement. Tq