Yesterday was one long day. Of waiting. Waiting at the KL Courts. Waiting at Puspakom Setapak. Waiting at JPJ Setapak. Waiting at Kia, Federal Highway.
The day started at 6 a.m. It ended at 10 p.m. That's 16 hours. That's two-third of the day.
It seemed a real waste of time, even if the job at hand was necessary, not trivial.
Dekna had to be at court to fix a hearing date. We arrived at 7.30. The canteen was just opening, the Registrar windows still shut. When her turn came, it was 10.15. That's three-and-a quarter hours of waiting. And business was completed in all of 5 whole minutes ! In this digital age, the Courts, like the Law it espouses, seems stone-age.
Then off to Puspakom. Documents had to be readied. The vehicle had to be readied. The queue was ready. But the lady processing the queue wasn't. After that the vehicle must follow the next queue. This time the men were ready. But the queue was a snail-crawl.
After that, off to JPJ just next door. Again the digital age has left them stranded. The report at Puspakom had to be repeated physically because although the inspection done was by the same people for the same vehicle, the intended departments were separate, requiring a separate report, for the same vehicle, done on the same day, by a different department related to each other in the same office. So Puspakom and JPJ took care of the rest of the 4.30 government closing time. That's 10.5 hours total thus far.
Off we rushed (this was rush hour now) to Kia on the Federal Highway. Their closing time was 6. Our appointed time 5.30. We made it. Whew!
Then the final documentations, the explanations, the demonstrations and the little trials. Now we were ready to leave. And the clock said 7.30. Then fuel tanks and stomachs to be filled, and the eternal road jams to be endured. And it was finally 10 p.m. Whew again !
Dekna bought her first car, a Persona, in Kuantan in 2011. The car is Malaysian, of course. It served its purpose, is still in good condition, and was sold to Bang Piei for 17,000. That's less than one-third of the original price. But after 7 years, it seems all right.
This Kia Grand Carnival 8-seater is c.b.u. and Korean, and is 3 times the price of the Persona. For the next 9 years she'll have to make her monthly instalments, until age 43. Seems a long way from Korea to KL, a long time until 2027. I'll be 83. There'll be at least one new PM. There'll be at least 2 more General Elections. Would I see an L.A. in my house, and her contemporaries in Parliament? We'll wait and see.
In the mean time, let's enjoy the ride.
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