Pos Malaysia biting off more than it can chew

Besides the usual transactions like posting letters and parcels which we have been used to, we can practically transact anything at the local post office. For example, we can register as voter, renew our driving licence, road tax and pay utility bills like electricity, telephone and so on. With the inconvenient location of the grand town council building, Pos Malaysia also act as a convenient agent for paying assessment bills.

My wife left an Astro bill for me to pay and I personally have a choice of payment by way of Maybank2u, or over the counter at Pos Malaysia, BSN, Ambank, TM, and even Caltex or Petronas stations!

I have never done it at BSN, so when I looked in, the few customers seated waiting for service put me off initially. So I proceeded to the post office. I waited for half an hour and only 5 out of 27 customers in queue were served. I decided to try out BSN which turned much faster - only ten minutes wait. The following are the details which are self explanatory:

Pos Malaysia

No. Anda (Your no.) No. Sekarang (Present no.) Masa (Time)
1165 .......................... 1138................................... 13.29
(27 persons in queue)

I found out that the time shown on the slip was 30 minutes faster than actual time, so I took another number to confirm by checking against my time. The queue numbers were:

1184............................1143.................................. 14.01 (actual time 13.31)
(increased to 41 persons in queue now, including some like me who would have left)

Bank Simpanan Malaysia (BSN)

No. Anda No. Sekarang Masa
1162......... 1157.............. 13.35

Actual transaction done at 13.45. In other words, I waited only 10 minutes for my turn to complete the transaction.

Incidentally, I met a Chinese man on my way back, asking for directions to the new town council building! He was totally new in BG and I had to describe the way for him to walk there. He said he was here to do some search at the town council.

Anyway, I am still wondering if the more than Rm200 million spent on new machinery (for sorting letters) helped in its efficiency. They had increased postage rates, yet posting losses in the accounts. To the public, letters could still be delayed by lazy postmen (unless given instructions to save costs) who saved letters to be delivered say, every three days instead of daily, if and when there are letters to be delivered to any address.
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