It began during a visit to a post office in a neighbouring state. Recently I bought a box of 100 Magic: The Gathering postcards, and I intend to use every single one.

“I’d like to buy 30sen stamps, please.”
“What for? To add on to postage?”
“No. I want to send postcards.”
“Those are 50sen”.

“It’s been 50sen for years, chimed another postal worker,” chimed another postal worker. “Yep, 50sen,” said a third. But none of them could prove that the rate for a standard-sized personal domestic postcard in Malaysia is 50sen.

https://www.pos.com.my/send/mail/domestic/postcards.html

I’ve been sending postcards for months now, it has always been 30sen, and it had (because of the spotty service) almost always arrived. But they were adamant.

I pulled out my phone and showed them the rates on the Pos Malaysia website. But they brushed it off, saying the site had not been updated. “For years?” I asked. No answer.

I left the post office with a sheet of 100 50sen Federal Territory stamps. I didn’t mind paying extra, and I like this Federal Territory staps. They have a standard design and size that has not changed for decades. This makes them more practical than larger stamps and gives each piece of mail attached a formal look.

A Second Chance

When I returned home, I needed to mail a letter. Out of curiosity, I went to another post office and asked how much the postage was for a domestic standard-sized personal postcard.

“50sen.”
“Where is it written?”
“I’m sure we received a circular that says postcards are 50sen.”
“But the website says 30sen, and I’ve sent postcards that arrived for 30sen.”
“Then you should continue with 30sen and complain to Pos Malaysia about them not updating the website”.

It didn’t make sense. All the postal workers I talked to know that the postage rate for a standard-sized personal domestic letter in a light-coloured envelope is 60sen. So, why are postcards that are meant to be quick and cheap, only 10sen less?

https://www.pos.com.my/send/mail/domestic/standard-mail.html

A Call To Headquarters

The next day I looked at the Pos Malaysia website for a way to contact them. There’s no complaint form or email address, but there is a chatbot and a number to call.

I called 1300 300 300 and asked for the postage rate of a domestic, standard-sized, personal postcard.

The person on the line referred to the website and said 30sen. I told them my story, and they checked twice, once with those around them and another with management. They confirmed that the postage rate is 30sen. They also asked for the post offices that I went to.

Wasted Potential

Recently Post Malaysia has been in the news for two things: losing money and adopting electric vehicles.

Losing money was not a surprise. It dropped the ball, especially during the pandemic. Online shopping was booming, but the national postal and courier service didn’t.

It had also all but abandoned its biggest fans, the Philatelists. Previously, first-day covers and stamp collectors could get an annual schedule of Pos Malaysia’s planned stamp publication. However, in the last few years, it would be lucky if a monthly publication schedule was accurate.

This is important because Philately is virtually free money for Pos Malaysia. Collectors buy these commemorative stamps, envelopes, and folders to keep. That means the potential for these stamps as payment for postage is not used, but Pos Malaysia still got paid. It’s almost like printing money.

Regarding adopting EVs by Pos Malaysia, it all feels like a publicity stunt. It doesn’t matter how the letter arrived if the service is inefficient or unreliable. But, even before that, it seems that Pos Malaysia has some work to do in training and informing them on the most basic fundamental functions of the postal service.