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My Experience at ITBM (Malaysian Institute of Translation and Books)

 As part of getting my family's visa to Canada, we needed to send the marriage certificate and birth certificate (translated and notarized copies).

I honestly thought that I could put it on hold during a pandemic.  Boy how wrong I was.

In a nutshell, I had to rush to ITBM (stands for Institut Terjemahan dan Buku Malaysia) to do translation of the certificates, and an urgent job too.  That equals money.

ITBM is located at Wangsa Maju, which is 15 minutes (with no traffic) from my workplace.  I did not bother to drive, and instead I took a Grab.  I hate parking, and to my chagrin, parking turned out to be easy in the morning.  


(Picture from Malaysiakini)

I came in the morning during opening time with the original certificates and photocopied certificates which are certified true (in case they want them), and a hefty load of money.  The reception asked me to fill a form, and directed me to the waiting area while waiting for the cashier to call for me.


(Picture from Berita Harian Online)

I requested for a same-day service, and I choked when the cashier told me the total amount.  It is RM200 per page for a same-day service, because it is charged 100% over the original cost.  Usually it is RM100 per page for birth and marriage certificates.  The cost depends on the type of document.

I was told to come back at 2 pm, and the certificate was ready to be picked up.  There, the reception asked me to check all of the translated certificates.  Apparently some of the printed words were faded, and I asked them to type it again.  I waited for about one hour for that to be finished.

Despite the hiccup, I actually enjoyed my experience at ITBM.  They have a bookshop which was closed at the time due to the pandemic, but if it was open, I would love to find what kinds of books they have there.  The service was very professional too.  

Will I recommend using ITBM for its services?  Most definitely.  It is recognized by government agencies all around the world for its translation services in Malaysia.  The document will come with a stamp stating the qualifications of the translator, which is reassuring.

But please, to make sure you don't have to spend extra money, make sure you have ample time to send it to ITBM for regular service.  I think it takes two to three days for a regular service if you pick it up yourself at ITBM.  They also courier it to other places in Malaysia.

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