SHAH ALAM: Pos Malaysia’s autonomous vehicle is expected to enhance productivity and operational efficiency in handling postal items, mainly in internal facility operations, before being rolled out to the next phase.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the initiative was a progressive step towards modernising the operations of the national postal service in line with the latest technological developments.
“This project is the first of its kind in Malaysia’s postal sector, opening opportunities for the country to explore wider use of autonomous vehicles in the future.
“We recognise that the mail delivery sector is facing significant challenges as a legacy service.
“The shift towards a more sustainable business model must be supported to ensure continuity of services,” he told reporters after launching the autonomous vehicle and witnessing the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Pos Malaysia and ALS at the National Mail Centre here yesterday, Bernama reported.
Fahmi said the initiative involved not just Pos Malaysia but also cross-ministry and agency collaboration, including the Communications, Transport, Science, Technology and Innovation ministries.
He said Pos Malaysia will conduct tests of the autonomous vehicle for three to six months while awaiting full approval from the Transport Ministry.
Fahmi said the initial use of autonomous vehicles will focus on intermediate routes, such as those from the mail centre to major post offices, rather than direct home deliveries.
He said the success of the project will depend on the readiness of digital infrastructure, including robust 5G coverage, in line with the government’s plan to develop a national digital infrastructure policy to safely and effectively support future technologies.
