LAST year went with a most saddening transaction. It started off with my friend in the United States asking me what I wanted for Christmas. Yes, he was going to share the joy of giving.

He asked how he could send the gifts. I suggested two methods: by commercial courier or by post. The first was expensive, so we settled for ordinary parcel post.

He was sure that the US counterpart was efficient because of the high standards of the US Postal Service. He queried about the counterpart in Malaysia. I assured him that after privatisation and being a public-listed concern, Pos Malaysia was as competitive as any commercial courier company.

How wrong I was.

When the parcel arrived, the most valuable item was missing. It was a new limited edition Nintendo DS. Everything was there except for this item.

The parcel’s tape had been tampered with. Despite being listed on the content sheet, the gift was nowhere in the parcel box.

I will never recommend this form of delivery to any of my friends. Neither will I use Pos Malaysia’s parcel service.

I wonder how many postmen in the parcel department got free Christmas gifts for their family last year.

If we can’t trust our own postal service, how can we trust the postman at your doorstep?

MARINA LYNN MARTIN, Petaling Jaya

Source: NST – January 9, 2008