PETALING JAYA: The Immigration Department’s online appointment system (STO) for the application and renewal of passports at its Kuala Lumpur office is full until the end of May, prompting widespread frustration among the people.

       As of yesterday morning, the earliest date available as shown on the STO is May 26, all the way to July 18.

       A check on the website showed that for the 7.30-8.30am time slot, the available dates start from July 8 to July 18.

       For the 10.30-11.30am and 11.30am to 12.30pm slots, no dates are available.

       No dates are available for the 2.45pm to 4pm slots as well, while dates for the 2pm to 4pm slot begin from May 30.

       For the Selangor office at Shah Alam, the earliest date available is May 17, all the way to July 18.

       Meanwhile, the available dates for renewal and application of passports at UTC Shah Alam starts from May 25 until July 18.

       No passport application and renewal date is shown for the Putrajaya office.

       Netizens have been complaining about the STO being fully booked for months.

       Facebook user Ali Rahmat said he had been trying for two months to get an appointment.

       “What do I do? I have been trying for two months but it always says all the dates are booked.

       “Is there another way to make an appointment?” he commented on the department’s page.

       User Robby Tom asked if he could walk-in instead.

       “The appointment is full until May,” he said.

       Another user Dexter YP Koh, shared a story of his renewal on April 6, which started at 9.15am, but got delayed after his old identity card (IC) was not accepted.

       “After queuing for almost an hour, an officer at the counter said he could not process my online passport application because my IC was of the old version, and asked me to get it renewed before coming back again,” he said in his Facebook post.

       “Why don’t they put this requirement on the website, so I can prepare in advance and not stand in a queue just to be told this!”

       After getting his new IC, Koh was again delayed because his photo in the IC was deemed to be “too white”, and had to wait another hour.

       He also narrated that he met with an elderly couple who were seeking to travel to Singapore for medical treatment and wanted to renew their passports.

       “Officer turned them away as they didn’t have an online appointment. Not every 80-year-old has digital knowledge la ...,” he said.

       Elsewhere, many people applying for a passport online ended up having to go to the Immigration Department in person to complete certain procedures, prompting them to express their frustration, and saying the department should come out with a clear list of instructions on their website.