KUALA LUMPUR – “The postman used to fill our mail boxes every few days, but now, we are lucky to catch deliveries every other week.”
Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic reached our shores last year, visits by Pos Malaysia Bhd riders have become increasingly infrequent, leaving many urbanites in the Klang Valley wondering what has happened to their mail.
The Vibes has recently received numerous complaints over the matter, with some quarters saying they have noticed a lapse in the volume of regular snail mail.
Some of these customers claimed they have “hardly seen a postman come around anymore” in recent months, while others say they have yet to receive subscriptions of publications – such as The Economist and The New Yorker – from abroad, or even books bought via BookXcess, and so on.
They aired their frustrations at having not received several issues of foreign publications, as they do not come cheap, all the more so with the ringgit’s declining value.
Even though the postal service is crucial and essential, some customers said they have not received their utility or credit card bills, thus risking things such as their internet connections being cut off without notice.
And, unlike Pos Laju and other parcel services, most regular mail is unregistered, making them unlikely to be tracked.
Some customers said they incurred late payment credit card fees simply because their bank statements did not arrive on time.
Briefly put, the post boxes of many Klang Valley residents tend to be empty for days, sometimes for weeks on end.
In the wake of this, The Vibes had approached Pos Malaysia Bhd to determine the veracity of these claims.
We also asked the company whether it is facing issues with manpower and operations in wake of the pandemic, and whether it is facing a logistical nightmare with the amassed backlog of letters and parcels.
In response, a Pos Malaysia spokesman said the pandemic has presented considerable challenges to its “amazing and essential Pos Malaysia team”.
The company representative acknowledged the recent lapse in deliveries and attributed standard operating procedures (SOPs) as among the reasons for this.
"Our priority from Day 1 of the pandemic has been both the continued well-being and safety of our employees, while also ensuring we keep Malaysians connected and continue to deliver to more than nine million addresses nationwide,” the spokesman told The Vibes in an email response.
Interestingly, the spokesman pointed out that the pandemic has accelerated online shopping and that Pos Malaysia has been delivering “peak-like” volumes for more than 18 months.
The spokesman, however, did not confirm whether there is indeed an amassed backlog of undelivered mail, or whether there are plans to send them to recipients soon.
Regardless, the company will be ending the contracts of outsourced Pos riders in the Klang Valley next month, reportedly due to volumes that have dipped.
It is understood that competition from other courier services, as well as Pos Malaysia’s higher operating costs, are among the reasons for the move.
However, the spokesman assured that this move did not involve the deliveries of regular mail, only riders who deliver parcels.
The spokesman said infections among Pos Malaysia staff also contributed to delays, and that the company is complying with instructions from the Health Ministry on SOPs.
“At times, we may have to close post offices and delivery centres to carry out disinfection and sanitisation, and these events can at times cause some service disruption,” the spokesman said.
“In cases of identified ‘events’, we inform our customers across all social media channels. Additionally, customers can reach us directly via AskPos at www.pos.com.my.” – The Vibes, August 30, 2021
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