ER34 is all MINE!

Pic 1: A home to call your own?

A person doesn't really own a house until it is fully paid up with the financing institution. It's a sad reality but yes, that is what we have to contend with here in Malaysia especially when housing loans can stretch way up to 30 years. You spent almost all of your working life sweating your butt off just to pay for a place to call home.

Similarly a vehicle is the same thing. It isn't really yours until the loan is settled. As the few readers (!) that read my blog would know, I am counting my days to fully pay up for the ER34's loan.

Last week, I took a dramatic move (financially to me at least) to pay up my car loan 3 months earlier. I can foresee that I will be pretty busy with work and also the new arrival to the family comes January 2010. As such I thought perhaps clearing up the loan, getting all the paperwork done and all the running around this month would be a good idea.

Pic 2: My piggy bank have seen better days

Of course my bank account couldn't agree with me. Its protest fell onto deaf ears so to speak. Well sometime, you just got to screw the logic and do what you think should be done, eh?

So anyway, I have to check my settlement amount with the financing institution and remit the cash over. Loads of phone calls were made to cancel standing instruction, confirm payment, getting the release letter done and also have it couriered to the nearest bank branch before I could finally catch my breath. A couple of trips to a couple of banks later and I finally have my ER34 release letter in hand. :)

So now I've got to head to the Jabatan Pengakutan Jalan (JPJ) (the Malaysian equivalent Department of Transport) to change the ER34 ownership name. My trip to JPJ last Thursday proved unfruitful and a total waste of time. Somehow, the computer system was offline the whole bloody day. Yeap, this is not the first time this has happened. In fact it's a common occurrence. So common in fact, they already have nice proper signage to state that all their computers are offline. WTF!

Do you know that system also have the tendency to go offline especially a day or two before festive seasons? I wonder if it's done purposely to make life difficult for the masses. ?!?!

I wish Namewee could do a video about this like how he made a mockery out of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) (Malaysian equivalent of the Department of Energy) and post it up in youtube. Should farked them upside down publicly and post it up in youtube for their poor service level. LOL :D

Pic 3: Number 1206. Only 257 more to go.

Back to the topic, I had to make another trip to JPJ the very next day. I reached at 10:50am and guess what? I got number 1463! The current number in queue is 1206! There's like 257 people ahead of me. WTF!

This influx of people is certainly not good for me. Compounded by the fact that it's a Friday where everyone is rushing to get cars registered for the weekend; plus Friday prayers means a 2 hours lunch break. Damn!

Pic 4: Check out the bored look of some of the guys in queue

I think more than 5 friends actually asked me why am I doing it myself instead of using a runner to get it done. Well, it's a lot of hassle yes but I guess it's worth it for the experience of getting the car under your own name whereby every nut, bolt, screw, shim, rubber hose, etc.... belongs to you!

The actual process is extremely fast. When my turn comes, it only took like 3 minutes to get it processed at the counter. And you've got to be in line for 4 bloody hours just to get the financing institution name canceled on the registration card.

Pic 5: Doesn't belong to the bank anymore. :)

Now that the ER34 is ALL mine (insert evil laugh here), what shall be done with it? Project the car to my wish list or just leave it as it is? Leaving it alone would mean a huge parts sale for you guys. Hahaha