PETRA JAYA: Soothing a fussy baby or propping up a newborn to sit still while taking a passport photo at the immigration counter is but one of many headaches for any parent.
That, however, is about to become a chore of the past, thanks to the Immigration Department's new system to help frazzled parents.
Mars Mirror, a system wholly-developed by the department, enables children below two-years-old to lie down in a baby bassinet comfortably while waiting for their photo to be taken.
The four-wheel baby bassinets, similar to those used in hospitals, are equipped with ‘Live Capture’ technology which allows one to snap a photo of the children easily even when they are lying down.
The position of the bed can also be adjusted based on the children’s needs.
Mars Mirror was developed by the Immigration Department's Innovativion and Creativity Team in Sarawak.
Immigration officer Haryani Salleh Baihaki, who led the 10-member team, said the idea came about after they encountered issues highlighted by parents with young children.
"We received feedback and also came across posts on social media saying that taking a proper passport photo a newborn can be a tiresome process.
"Sometimes, an application can take more than 30 minute as parents need to divert the attention of their children to the camera or to calm down a cranky baby.
"Also, another issue for the newborns is that they can’t sit up yet so the parents need to prop them up,” she said.
In addition, those who fail to get a clear image captured must then go to a photo studio to have another photo taken, which further burdens the parents.
Haryani said the team put their heads together to come up with a solution. The team worked on the idea since June last year and the design was finalised months ago.
Now, with Mars Mirror, the photography process can be completed in just five minutes.
Haryani said it not only saves time and money, but also improves efficiency at immigration counters as its speeds up the application process.
A total of 70 Mars Mirror units will be distributed at immigration departments (passport offices) throughout Malaysia, with four units allocated for Sarawak.
“We will have the first Mars Mirror in our Kuching immigration office at Jalan Simpang Tiga, starting today,” she said.
Another three units will be sent to the Urban Transformation Centres (UTC) in Kuching, Sibu and Miri.
All immigration departments are expected to have the system by next year.
Mars Mirror, which costs RM 2,350 per unit, had also won the top prize in the 2017 Sarawak-Level Civil Service KIK Convention for the federal agency category.