A recently married couple experienced a devastating setback, losing RM16,000 when their dream honeymoon to Turkiye was abruptly cancelled due to an unexpected passport mishap.
Muhammad Fikry Azman and his wife, Nur Amira Fatin Norazmi, had planned a nine-day tour through Turkiye, booked via a travel agency, scheduled to begin on 17 December…
Photo via TikTok (@fikryyazman)
Their ordeal unfolded at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) during the check-in process, where Fikry's passport was deemed ineligible for processing by the airline's staff due to water damage. Fikry, who works as a cleaner, revealed that his passport had been soaked during a heavy rainstorm on his way back from his job in Singapore.
According to Fikry, the airline employee refused to risk potential disruptions in Turkiye, where local authorities could impose fines. He explained, "The passport must not be exposed to water because it might cause the writing on the document to swell or damage the entry or exit stamps in the passport."
The couple's trip to Turkiye, intended as both a honeymoon and a birthday celebration (their birthdays falling on 22 and 23 December), included visits to Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, and Bursa. The entire non-refundable trip, costing over RM16,000, was lost.
Fikry recounted that the night before their flight from Sepang, they were preoccupied with last-minute shopping and currency exchange, leaving no time to dry his passport.
Attempts to dry the passport at KLIA's restroom were also unsuccessful.
Having worked in Singapore for over three years, Fikry understood the severity of the situation when the airline employee informed him that his passport did not meet immigration inspection standards. Despite his efforts, the couple's dream vacation was shattered, leading Fikry to share his story on TikTok, where it garnered over 480,000 views.
Fikry's unfortunate experience serves as a cautionary tale, emphasising the critical need to shield passports from rain and highlighting the potential setbacks that can arise from seemingly small oversights.
Oh no, this is so sad. We hope that the couple get to go on their dream honeymoon one day!
