444 in Birth Cert Number

[Osiris]

http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Sto...ory_280424.html

 

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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

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am amused and have a hard time believing the nonsensical request from Mr Tan. I can empathise with him being upset.

But to bring the matter to a newspaper and hope to appeal? He describe himself as being horrified and agonised. and that number reversed his joy of having a child

 

To me it is just a number. If a birthcert no do lay a auspicious path, then ICA should assign auspicious number to coincide with the new born bazhi. this will ensure our newborn are all auspicious and contribute the max to Singapore.

 

Before anyone says I do not truly empathised, My daughter also have 444 as the last number of her BC.

I didn't think a thing of it until i read ah tan letter.

 

My girl have been our source of joy. we wish for her too to have an auspicious life. but believed that it is our duty to equipped her with skills to do that and do not think her 'fate' outcome has anything to do with a number from a piece of paper.

 

What would you do if your kid is issued with the no 444?

Edited September 22, 2008 by Osiris

[Qpik]

hmmm....888

 

sounds like pak pak pak in cantonese

 

sounds like ba ba ba in mandaring (fxxk fxxk fxxk)

 

sounds like bua bua bua in hokkien (cannot cannot cannot)

 

sounds like pad pad pad in thai

 

back to yr qtn, no issue with me but to mob the national papers for his own quest is really too extreme. it is not like having a "swee swee" no. can pave his daughter's future

 

perhaps we can check with our resident FengShui Master in MCF. paging for The One, plse shed some light.

 

does having an auspicious no. count in BC

[Albeniz]

Birth cert number is allocated and no appeal should be entertained.

 

If "444" can be appealed, then by the same token, many would bid for "888" in their children's BC.

[Kusje]

I think we need to beat him with a stick till he grows up.

 

What would I do if my child has 4444 in the BC? Buy 4444 4d?

Edited September 22, 2008 by Kusje

[N00b]

i agree with u...in the whole set of bc numbers, there is going 2 b countless of time having the 4 inside, and with the majority chi in sg, high chances are its going 2 b a chi getting such numbers. to the more traditional chi like mr tan, they will mind it more den others, but come think of it...isnt getting the bc number part of her life 'ming'? if so tat is so fated, juz let it b n move on, and prolly try balance it up with other areas of her 'ming' with other things, for a better life ahead

[Davidklt]

another silly singaporean.

[N00b]

wah~ like tat bcum like number plate liao..can bid for the number u like!

[Acemundo]

haha same sentiment......

 

i was rotfl when i read his article.

 

the easy logic is that govt only adminsters things from their perspective not from the recipient's perspective. he come and ask for change if govt allow, next time all pple will come and ask until they are satisfied their children birthcert got 168, 198, 888, 118, 818, 808 strings.

 

or he thinks immigration authority shld use the same system as LTA allow pple to bid birthcert number? kekeke.....

[Wish1719]

me also plently of 4's

so long as the child is healthy and strong...very happy liow..

[Wish1719]

you forgot to include, teochew, kek, hainanese, jit-poon

[Jc777]

maybe ica can learn from lta, to start off BC number bidding, then can generate extra revenue from the rich and concern parents.

 

if can submit as WITS project, sure can win 1st prize. minimum bid $1k, every year 10% of the parents (~3000) bid, instant $3 mil income generated. good money.

Birth cert number is allocated and no appeal should be entertained.

 

If "444" can be appealed, then by the same token, many would bid for "888" in their children's BC.

[Qpik]

forgot my jit-poonese...

 

teochew i returned to my nanny liao

 

i no kek or hainese peng-you so paiseh for omitting

 

i still remember my nos. in melayu, ampak ampak ampak...sounds like angpai angpai angpai...

[Nirxe]

This is really being kiasu and kiasi at its best... Really tok cong! Instead, he should be grateful that his kid is alive, healthy and well.

Edited September 22, 2008 by Nirxe

[Jamstart]

Agree lor. This type of people also have, really damn one kind. If everyone is like him, then si bei bi eng. He should go .

[Samuel72]

I was amused by what this Mr Tan had wrote in ST Forum today, so what to have all 4 in the birth cert it is just your luck that it happen. All 4 doesn't mean anything as long as the baby is healthy which I think that's more important then anything, yes to some dialet group it may mean "die" and for some it's an auspicious number. He is damn shallow to write things like that in the national papers thinking people will take pity on him, maybe because of him ICA may start a bidding system for auspicious number and maybe MR Tan can bid $88888 for the number he wants for his daughter.

Edited September 22, 2008 by Samuel72

[Jman888]

at least the number start with 08 maybe end with 8 also

 

next time ask him to ask the office 'whats that next numebr?' before they register the number lah

[Acemundo]

yeah lor, i think ICA will be busy lor, if they have to entertain such requests for change in birth cert number. i think the affluence is doing singaporeans no good. last time parents busy finding money for upkeep, even though they more superstitious than present generation, they no time for such frivolous requests.

 

modern day people should be less superstitious yet they got mood to make such requests? I can only say too free lor!

[Altivo]

hahaha... i had a good laugh when i read it in the papers. To think this guy actually had the guts to write in a letter to appeal!