Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil today announced a RM50 million allocation for Pos Malaysia to ensure that postal services continue to reach communities across the country, including in remote and rural areas.
He said the funds under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) were to strengthen and modernise the postal sector so that it remains relevant, sustainable and competitive in the era of digital communication and e-commerce.
“It cannot be denied that as we talk about (the growth of) e-commerce and the digital economy, relationships between people (remain) complemented by the delivery of letters and parcels,” he said at the World Postal Day celebration at the Pos Malaysia headquarters here.
Fahmi said the funds would help Pos Malaysia deliver essential services to commercially non-viable areas and ensure connectivity to remote areas.
“Every country has one entity entrusted with ensuring that letters and parcels reach everywhere in the country. In Malaysia, that responsibility falls on Pos Malaysia.”
Fahmi said the government was also amending the Postal Services Act 2012 to make it more comprehensive and future-ready, ensuring that it reflects current challenges in the digital and e-commerce landscape.
He said the proposed amendments, which may be brought to Parliament in the middle of next year, would address industry sustainability and employee welfare, and improve legislative clarity for courier and postal licensing under MCMC.
Fahmi also said MCMC received more than 4,000 complaints related to courier services between Jan 1 and Sept 15 this year, with more than 50% to 60% related to late deliveries.
He said Pos Malaysia outperformed the industry with a 91% customer satisfaction rate, compared with 82% for the overall courier sector.
Fahmi said Pos Malaysia is also testing alternate-day mail delivery as part of its transformation plan to adapt to the decline in traditional mail volumes and the surge in parcel deliveries due to e-commerce growth.
