Public in a huff over UTC closing time
KUCHING: Members of the public were caught unaware by the closure of Urban Transformation Center ( UTC) for Friday prayers yesterday, and for a break from 6.30pm-7.30pm daily.
It is closed at 11.45am to 2.15pm on Fridays.
Abang Abdul Rauf, 23, company worker, said he thought that as UTC had longer hours, it would not be closed at all during the stipulated opening hours.
He said that he and his family arrived at 11.30am and the doors were already locked, leaving the family of five to wait until it reopened at 2.15pm.
“We drove four hours from Spaoh to register the birth of our child in the hope that it could be done faster here than back home as there was a long queue there. I came before to check the opening hours but I did not know that they closed for Friday prayers,” he said.
He came with his wife, child and two relatives.
He pointed out that it was not tenable for all staff to be Muslim, in that they needed to close, adding that they could have taken turns to keep at least one counter open.
Businessman Jacky Lim, 49, was fuming when he saw the National Registration Department counter closed when he came at noon.
He said that he had been to UTC several times before but did not pay attention to any additional closing time(s) as he thought UTC was supposed to open at all times without any closure.
“UTC should be like banks, the staff take turns so that it remains open. Like this we have to leave and come back again at 2.15pm later, wasting time and money as we have to pay for parking.”
He added that being a multiracial country, he believed that not all staff were Muslims, in that there should still be someone manning the counter.
“Aside from that, they also do not adhere to the closing time. We were here at 8pm last week and by 8.30pm the staff locked the doors. They should close at 9pm as stated and not half hour earlier.”
He pointed out that since big money had been spent to build the UTC, it should function as it should or else people would stop coming and it would become a white elephant.
These two who were interviewed were not the only unhappy customers — many were shocked to see the lights turned off and doors locked during closure time for Friday prayers yesterday.
Many were heard groaning, shaking their heads, taking photos of the opening hours at the door and complaining out loud for their wasted time and effort to drop by.
Meanwhile, an officer at the information center, Nicole Choo, said that all services at UTC would be closed for Friday prayers, one hour dinner break daily and on public holidays, except the state government agency as it closes at 8pm.
She added that it was also a directive from the Ministry of Finance to close for Friday prayers.
The public can also visit UTC Sarawak Facebook page for opening hours and other updates.
Asked on why the doors were locked at 11.30am on Fridays; and 6.30pm and 8.30pm at night, she said that this was to stop the issuance of queue numbers.
Posed with the l itany of complaints from the public who were unaware of the closure at certain times, she said: “UTC has been around for two years, we have publicised in newspapers, so they should know the opening hours by now.”