WHEN I tried to renew my international passport on July 3 at an Immigration office, I was surprised when I was asked to remove my nose stud.
I was also told by the officer that I am only allowed to wear one ear stud and had to take off my two other small studs on either side of my ear.
I have been wearing my nose studs and ear studs for the past 25 years and showed to Immigration officers my earlier passport photo, which proved this.
When the officers at the counter said that certain countries may refuse me entry, I replied that I would take the risk as I travel frequently and have had no issues at all with entering any of the countries I have visited over the years.
However, the officer asked me if I wanted to renew my passport, implying that if I did not remove them, I could not renew my passport.
Reluctantly, I removed the nose and ear studs for the photo and was asked to pull my hair behind my ears so that my ears could be clearly seen in the photo.
Earlier this year, another friend with a nose stud and ear studs on each ear had no issues renewing her passport without removing them.
The authorities should come up with clear guidelines in this matter as it will help to prevent a recurrence of such untoward incidents and to avoid any confusion.
A. SUSEELA P. ARULANANTHAM
Johor Baru, Johor
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times