Father's Day fuel rebate payout

Got my fuel rebate of RM625.00 in the local post office today; after waiting 4 hours, and not within 3 minutes as reported in the press. To be fair, the 4 hours were the time spent waiting for my number to be called.

I and the wife went to the post office at the Kajang Tesco Store at 11.30am. There was already a big crowd of people who was there much earlier than us. There were only two counters serving the public at the post office. There were already 174 eligible motorists in the queue ahead of me. My ticket indicated that I was the number 1223 customer and at that time the counter was serving customer no. 1049.

Filling up the money order form was quite simple. There was a policeman manning the service counter who was responsible for distributing the form. Pasted on top of the counter were some completed money order sample forms as a guide for the public to fill the forms correctly.

While the wife wandered into the store to buy the week's groceries, I headed downstairs for some light refreshment at the Uncle John cafe.

"Don't loafed in the cafe for too long as you may miss your turn at the post office", dear wife reminded me over the hand phone as I was about to sip the hot black coffee. "OK. I won't stay in the cafe longer than one hour, " I reassured her. In my mind it would be another three hours before my turn was called and there was no way that I would have stayed in the cafe for three hours.

After finishing my meals and reading the papers I went up to the first floor to check out the situation at the post office.

The big crowd of people was still there. The ticket clock showed that the the two counters were serving customers no 145 ans 146. My watch told me that the time was 1.30pm. At the rate it was going it would be another one and a half hours before my turn. Decided to joined the wife at the store. Wife was still buying groceries.

3.00pm. Checking out at the cashier's counter after finishing the purchases. The ticketing clock at the post office flashed no. 1217 and 1218. There were 5 more customers before my turn. By 3.30pm the clock flashed my number. Went to the counter. Stamped my left thumb print on the money order form, exchanged a few pleasantries with the clerk and in less than 5 minutes I received the RM625.00 fuel rebate as promised by the government.

The fuel rebate is equivalent to RM52.00 of petrol subsidy per month, surely not enough to pay the monthly petrol bill of RM400.00. Still it is better than nothing in times of runaway inflation and fuel price hikes.