So why did we have to wake up an hour earlier than usual? Because we were going "out of town" to Putrajaya to register for permission to be married (Why Putrajaya?? All because his IC was registered in PJ, and mine was registered in KL, hence we have to go to the HQ to register because apparently our's is considered an "interstate marriage"). A brief pit stop of 20 minutes at UPM for the PhD student to submit some documents and then it was another 15 minutes before we arrived at Putrajaya. The building was JPN: Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara. It was not difficult getting there with the help of Waze. But finding a park for the car was a little tricky (Tip: The parking lots for regular cars would be at the open space car park, directly in front of the JPN building. Basement parking lots are for staff only).
And so we crossed the road, feeling all excited seeing other young couples looking as lost, some even more lost than us waddling about trying to do that one thing - register to be married! Entered the building and a somewhat rain forrest looking ambiance greeted us. Go left or go right? We took the left turn, went up the escalator to the first floor and saw "BAHAGIAN PERKAHWINAN DAN PERXXXXXXX"!
Didn't really know where to go, the curious me was distracted and attracted towards a long wall of fame - "PEMBERITAHUAN PERKAHWINAN". So many, many, MANY passport photos of the about to be married couples stuck on the board, assuming to announce to the world their intensions to be married? But before they are cleared to do that, they (and eventually we) would have to publish their pictures there for 21 days. In the span of 21 days, should an enemy or your best friend disapproves of you being married to someone, they are welcome to stop you from doing so by submitting an objection. As we speak right now, we are actually quite tempted to take a drive down Putrajaya just to see our entry on the board! =)
So while I was distracted there, Joel (always the practical and sensible one) went ahead to queue in line for a number for our turn. We got a lucky number 1025, which we thought would take us a lifetime and a half before it was our turn seeing the flashing number showed 1009. So we then took the time to have our photographs taken at the shop downstairs, and have our IC photocopied (4 copies of passport sized picture each, 1 copy of front and back IC each = RM 32). Went back upstairs, completed the form (took all 5.3minutes??) and then waited about 20 minutes before it was our turn.
When it was our turn, we just needed to hand her our photographs and confirmed verbally that we were never married before. Once that was done, she asked us when and where are we planning on doing our ROM. After which, she told us that we'd have to return after 21 days to collect our documents, unless of course if we had any objections from the public, she will then call before the end of the 21 days free advertising space at the government office to show off our faces, and we'd have to take it from there (we are hoping we never had to go down that path of having anyone object against our wedding, so by faith we didn't ask what could happen if there was an objection).
Once that was done, we were pretty much good to go.
Advise for others thinking of registering your marriages at Putrajaya: Get there early, dress decently conservative (no showing off legs and cleavages! Save that for the big day!), get your passport sized pictures taken outside, have a copy of your IC (front and back) ready. If you have all these planned out before your trip there, it will save you time and some money.
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