He Is Not Happy Because New Born Daughter’s Birth Cert Number Includes “444″
Joseph and wife just got their daughter. But they are not happy because her birth cert number was issued with “444″ in between. He went ICA to appeal, failed. So he wrote in ST Forum to complain…
Baby’s birth cert reverses parental joy
THE arrival of my newborn daughter was a source of joy for my wife and myself – until I went to obtain her birth certificate from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).To my horror, she was given the number T08-XX444X. As Chinese Singaporeans are aware, the number four suggests death, and implies misfortune.
I appealed to the ICA officer, also a Chinese Singaporean who understood my discomfiture. But she firmly rejected my plea because rules were rules, I was told. Subsequently, I appealed to a superior officer and waited an agonising week, making several calls in between, only to be given the same answer.
I grant that sticking to a system of rules is important. But so too is crafting exceptions which humanise the system.
My wife and I took great pains to craft our daughter’s name, consulting time-honoured cultural principles, because we wanted an auspicious life for her. Imagine having a birth certificate number like 444 which counters all that.
A birth certificate is a personal and important life-long document.
A system which forces officers to stick rigidly to the rulebook without due regard for cultural sensitivities is not a good one. Rules are made to serve citizens and not the other way round.
I’m not giving up. I hope that my daughter can be given a more appropriate birth certificate number and I’m not asking for very auspicious figures.
Joseph Tan
Joseph ah Joseph, your daughter’s destiny is not decided by what birth cert number she was given (I could not remember when I last used my birth cert for anything). It is decided by what values, mindsets, virtues you teach her, pass down to her. But, I think he life will be quite tough in the future since he got a father like you.
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My daughter was born at 12:14 in the afternoon. My husband also not happy so asked the doctor to change the time. It is now written on her birth cert she was born at 12:18.
Jialat ah Jialat… do you realise the birth cert # here is the IC # ah?
Every time they write IC, will be “Die die die” ah.
ic number now starts with TO8?
Terry,
As long as your husband happy and never whine……
Kerman,
Really? My bad, muahahahaha, paiseh paiseh. But still, fate is not determined by that few digits, isn’t it?
uglyfatchick,
seems like YES.
Hehey, I like the number 4….
In fact, i yearn for it.
=D
3POINT8,
Serious?
superstitions. GROW UP ALREADY!
tsl,
hope he does