PKR has criticised Putrajaya for allowing Pos Malaysia to increase its courier service charges, despite falling fuel cost due to the global oil price crash.
 
Kelana Jaya MP Wong Chen said Pos Malaysia had taken advantage of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission's (MCMC) move to increase the minimum price for letters below 500 grams to RM5 in December last year.
 
This, he claimed, prompted Pos Laju, a subsidiary of Pos Malaysia, to increase its prices by an average of 51 percent.
 
“Instead of bringing prices down, today, we expose how a government agency has helped to increase profits for a company, Pos Malaysia, which is controlled by Syed Mokhtar (Albukhary) since 2011,” Wong said in a statement today.
 
He slammed Pos Laju for the increase despite its steady financial status.
 
“In 2013, they made a whopping RM151 million in profit after tax, with a revenue of RM322 million from its courier service alone. 
 
This price hike could effectively push its courier service revenue to an all-time high of RM500 million,” said Wong (right), who is also PKR investment and trade bureau chief.
 
He said Pos Malaysia would record high profit returns in 2015 following the savings on petrol it would accumulate.
 
“Ultimately, the rakyat and the consumers suffer while the crony billionaire laughs all the way to the bank”, he said.   

Wong urged Communications and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek to lower the courier prices, particularly before the implementation of GST this April.
 
Pos Laju announced its minimum courier fares would be RM5 for letters below 500gm, effective Jan 1 this year, after MCMC agreed to raising the limit.