Liberate Pos Malaysia

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NOT many people realise the acute problem at Pos Malaysia. Even the government and its supervisory agency the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) gives full attention to the business slalom that puts Pos Malaysia deeper into the unwanted complication.

I notice that ever since its corporatisation (or privatisation) in 1992, Pos Malaysia was not given a complete freedom to chart its own business future, let alone given a free hand to decide on tariffs and prices of stamps! While postal services around the world is benefiting from the growing market demand and cost-panache, Pos Malaysia finds itself vulnerable to the policy of arm-twisting by the MCMC and some politicians.

To me, this is bad and tormenting. More than 23,300 employees - most of them have not seen a pay rise in many years - are hard-working. Tell me, is there a company or someone willing to take over the end-mile delivery being carried out by postmen of Pos Malaysia now?

We keep on paying minimal fee for a class-one job! And companies appointed by MCMC to complement the postal business are the ones raking in tonnes of money. As for Pos Malaysia and its workers, they are treated as third-class entity!

Well, of course Pos Malaysia has to work on methods to ensure its services remain affordable, amid an upcoming postal price hike due to the US’ intention to increase its rates for terminal dues. It has recently entered 'an engagement' with Putrajaya'’s relevant agencies in order for the postal service to move towards a more liberated operating model.Whoa! Talk about liberation, that's exactly what Pos Malaysia needs. Will the gpvernment, especially the MCMC willing to provide Pos Malaysia with a free hand to organise its business for its survival?News is, Pos Malaysia was working on a paper to be tabled at the current Cabinet meeting. Where was the paper? When will it be taken up seriously by the government? Postal services must be aligned on the fundamentals that it need to remain affordable and accessible to all Malaysian citizens and businesses.Either the past or current regime, Pos Malaysia should not be turned into a political tool like others. So many meetings had taken place but no solid judgement was arrived at as how the local postal service can grab the abundant of opportunity over the growing demand.We cannot let it just slip of the finger. Pos Malaysia, like postal organisations worldwide, possesses the tendency to emerge as one of most profitable business in Malaysia, if not for the whole region,The government must be able to match postal services with the booming digital economy and the pivotal role Pos Malaysia can play. Stop issuing more licences to companies offering similar packge with Pos Malaysia, unless they are willing to take up the end-mile distribution, notably in Sabah and Sarawak.Dont talk transformation if you fail to keep abreast with the world's postal evolution.With the presence rate of development, outgoing and incoming parcels and deliveries beyond Malaysian shores will also see a drastic increase starting next year ranging anywhere from 30 per cent up to a whopping 210 per cent in delivery. So, what is Pos Malaysia's share?This was due to the Trump administration’s intention to increase its rates for terminal dues as well as other countries reaching an agreement to increase their own postal rates as well. The US will advance on their intent to increase the rates of their terminal dues effective July 2020. Subsequently, Malaysia will see a drastic hike of more than 210 per cent in delivery costs to the US.Other countries are following suit, making their own arrangements to implement a gradual increase in postal rates beginning in 2020. As a whole, this will contribute to a forecasted 30 per cent hike in total delivery costs. However, these rates will be subject to revision once again in 2021, which would then bring about a potential increase of up to 50 per cent in total cost.Furthermore, based on recent reports it is predicted that there is an indication that China is expecting to pay triple for overseas postal deliveries by 2025. Terminal dues is the Universal Postal Union (UPU) remuneration system for letters and small packets. The system essentially ensures that post operators are compensated for the cost of handling, transporting and delivering items across borders.However, Pos Malaysia, while trying to keep up to that momentum, is still lagging in many aspects. Since it is not 'permitted' to move by its decision, it will have to operate on continuous losses, unless the government is quick to resolve it by taking heed at its call. Why not just LIBERATE Pos Malaysia totally instead of shuffling it to political and personal cards?

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