Giving Pos Malaysia A Proper Treatment

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WITH the US administration has decided on Thursday that it will remain with the 192-member Universal Postal Union (UPU), the world can sigh in relief that the future of postal services worldwide would at least move as usual.

For Pos Malaysia, it's should be treated as one of the remedies to enhance and elevate its services since it's corporatisation in 1992, which saw it riding a roller-coaster business cycle. However, it made entry into Bursa Malaysia in 2001 after some restructuring that augur well with the establishment of Pos Laju, Data Pos, POS ArRahnu and others.

UPU and the US aside, Pos Malaysia has much more to do. It incurred a net loss of RM15.10 million in the first-quarter (Q1) ended June 30, 2019, from a net profit of RM4.98 million in the same period a year ago. The net loss is attributed higher cost of sales and operating expenses from one off charges of impairment.
The impairment involved in the goodwill of logistics segment of RM39.6 million and provision for onerous contract for the redelivery charges of leased aircraft of RM44.0 million incurred in the preceding quarter.Its Q1 revenue dropped 2.97 per cent to RM572.95 million from RM590.46 million, attributable to lower contribution from its postal services and aviation segments.Now, the management must go back to the government. Putrajaya must find avenues to reform the regulatory postal service since Pos Malaysia tariff is determined by the government. It's now outdated and obsolete and doesn't tally with the rates in other countries in the region.The international tariff needs a re-look, that's what the government MUST DO FAST! We are not acting or keeping abreast to market changes as Pos Malaysia failed to compete with other carriers for subsidising other corporate businesses.Pos Laju too is riddled with red tapes that prevent it from providing an efficient service to customers. It needs to consider reviewing its operating procedures and put the interests of its customers above all else. Inconsiderate policies must be repealed if it intends to compete with others in the industry. As a service provider, it is Pos Laju’s duty to assist and facilitate its customers, not make their lives difficult.Maybe we can comprehend this, that Pos Malaysia is dragged into Putrajaya's 'cheap' postal for its political mileage but Pos Malaysia is being treated like a third class government-linked entity unlike TNB, Petronas, Sime Darby and others.Pos Malaysia is being left to no choice but to oblige to squeezing political regulation by the government. iPerhaps it is time for the government to enhance the service of Pos Malaysia and make it profitable again. These are improving its customer experience, involve employees and customers, sell products that people need, want and will pay for, market by word-of-mouth, get digital, give customers delivery options, and expand the reach of its business.Worldwide, postal service in many countries are seeing evolution landscape to its core business. They are given a free hand or direct protectionism by the government. In Pos Malaysia case, Putrajaya must be willing to let Pos Malaysia chart it's own growth under strict central supervision.Like Denmark for instance, USPS could re-imagine basic letter service. Slower, but much more reliable delivery times with fewer delivery days.Postal machines should use off-the-shelf hardware and software that makes them capable of any purchase a clerk can do. Singapore embraced best-in-class postal machines, USPS can too.Finland's post office found that dynamically changing mail carrier routes to more-evenly spread out mail and parcels makes delivery times more reliable. This could be one way USPS could respond to a complaint by postal customers.
These are among the things that Malaysia should subscribe to. Having a postal service just for sake of having it, will not meet the purpose. Emulating good methods by others is one of the best option for Pos Malaysia to gain its strong footing in this business nature again.

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