Rain or shine, the postbox still stands

Familiar sight: Postman Rastam Abdul Rashid checks the mail at Pos Malaysia post boxes in Penang. — LIM BENG TATT /The Star

PETALING JAYA: Ever wondered if that red postbox down the road is still “on duty”?

The answer is a resounding yes.

Postmen are still dutifully opening the postbox to collect “snail mail” and send it to recipients, just as how it has been done for generations.

Free of viruses and malware, these letters, which are sometimes sent via perfumed or pretty envelopes, have not disappeared amid the waves of technology.

“There are customers who still prefer communication via mail due to its sentimental value, which was evident when we launched Mel Rakyat in October,” a spokesman from Pos Malaysia told The Star when asked if the postboxes are still in use.

From Oct 4-31, Pos Malaysia invited Malaysians to send letters to their loved ones – no postage stamps were required during that period.

Postmen delivered six million such letters then.

“Mail is a physical communication tool, still in use to this very day as it is needed to deliver important documents such as bills, legal documents, bank statements and others,” said the spokesman.

He said that there are more than 3,300 postboxes nationwide.

They are found outside and inside post offices, at roadsides, business centres and densely populated areas.

There are single and double compartment red postboxes and the yellow ones which are for the pricier express mail.

Most of the postboxes can hold 200 and 260 letters, more than enough capacity for most areas.

Opening postboxes to collect the letters daily, said the spokesman, is now a time-honoured, venerable tradition.

“We still follow the collection process of once a day, done by dedicated postmen who carry out the task come rain or shine,” the spokesman added.