Will There Be New Year Cheer For Pos Malaysia

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WE usher the New Year with hope of better life for everyone. Will there be? Depends... but no politics in this posting about Pos Malaysia.

Some Malaysians have already contemplated postal tariffs in 2020, pros and cons. There are already words on the social media, especially FaceBook that this will be another Pakatan Harapan life-choking measures.

Hey, don't take it negatively. Consider Pos Malaysia which had the last hike about ten years ago. Think of the workers, the plight of about 30,000 of them. I spoke to a postman last Friday only to discover a heartbreaking fact - that the basic salary for them is about RM1,000 per month, way down the national minimum wage of RM1,200!

With almost no overtime, they have to dwell with the rising cost of living on the back of increased duty. I can't imagine how some of them gotta maintain big families, making ends meet and change uniforms. Frankly, I don't wanna imagine!

To me, everybody must treated them fairly. The government, the MCMC and Malaysians should understand that their tariffs are among the lowest in the world. While regional postal services saw a hike in charges, workers' salary and remunerations, ours are still backpackers.

However, Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo has earlier December promised 'something sweet' for postal workers nationwide. Our postmen can smile a little, hoping their ten years wait will pay.

Thanks to the government, Pos Malaysia will eventually see the light at the end of the tunnel but doubts are that on the quantum of hike approved by the government. As the regulatory body, MCMC has yet to announce the tariff hike.

All seven Pos Malaysia Berhad workers unions have recently welcomed Gobind's assurance on postal tariffs. In a joint statement the seven unions were grateful that the Minister is taking proactive measures on the issue as the tariffs have not been raised for the last 10 years.

The income accrued by Pos Malaysia due to tariffs not being raised for the last 10 years could not offset the high operating costs. The management has to find other avenues to sustain operation and keeping workers at bay.I believe now is the right time for the government to grant Pos Malaysia approval for a tariff increase and for the company to determine its own rates, so that it can compete and keep up with the changing business landscape.With the emergence of new townships and business premises, demand for postal services keeps increasing, and Pos Malaysia's responsibility grows in tandem too.If the government gives up control on postal tariffs, Pos Malaysia could improve its financial performance by generating additional revenue to offset the losses caused by rapid technological changes in the industry, apart from pursuing long term development programs that the company had already planned.Malaysians have to know this, that the last tariff increase to 60 sen (per standard 20g mail) was in 2010 and following that there was supposed to be a small increase every three years, but this did not happen.Like any other privatised entities, Pos Malaysia employees deserved better perks like their colleagues in other countries.Beginning January 2, 2020 I hope a postman will deliver letters and parcels to my residence with all smiles in his face, not that tight look previously.HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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