Govt studies proposed postal tariff increase

KUALA LUMPUR: The government is studying the need to increase the postal tariff of Pos Malaysia Berhad (Pos Malaysia), the Dewan Rakyat was told yesterday.

Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Jailani Johari said the company was negotiating with the government on the possibility of a tariff increase.

“We know that the last tariff increase was in 2010 and the government is studying the need to raise the tariff,” he said in reply to a supplementary question from Normala Abdul Samad (BN-Pasir Gudang).

Normala had wanted to know whether Pos Malaysia was still competitive as there were many private postal service operators at the moment.

Jailani said Pos Malaysia, which is still in the transformation process after being privatised two years ago, has 702 post offices and 239 mini post offices nationwide.

“Currently 28 mobile postal service outlets or Post-onWheels (PoW) are in operation nationwide since 2011,” he said.

Jailani said the country’s postal industry had been evolving to stay relevant in line with today’s rapid technological advances by replacing the Postal Services Act 1991 with Postal Services Act 2012.

“The government through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission will continue to strengthen the national postal industry to ensure people will get worldclass postal services,” he said. - Bernama