With the latest postal tariff revision (started on July 1, 2010), something is not quite right when one tries to compare the domestic and overseas rates.
Pos Malaysia divides overseas mail into five categories (zones) as below:
Zone A: ASEAN
Zone B: Developing countries of Asia Pacific
Zone C: Developed (industrial) countries of Asia Pacific such as Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Zone D: Europe and Middle East (including Egypt)
Zone E: North and South America and Africa
The rates for the basic airmail letter (less than 20g) to the five zones are as follow:
Zone A: 90s (35s for each additional 10g)
Zone B: 95s (35s for each additional 10g)
Zone C: RM1.40 (35s for each additional 10g)
Zone D: RM1.50 (50s for each additional 10g)
Zone E: RM1.80 (70s for each additional 10g)
postcard: 50s flat rate to everywhere overseas
The problem with the latest tariff revision is that the overseas rates unrevised (unchanged), and the revision only affects the domestic rates (click here to see the revised domestic rates). This makes the postal rates distorted when one to compare the domestic and overseas rates. For example, a letter (brown colour envelop; which is designated as non-standard) of 15g sent to Vietnam is only cost 90s, but if the same letter is sent within Malaysia (domestic) it will be 80s! The different is just 10s - very much unrealistic! Furthermore, the same letter sent to Korea/China will only cost 95s - a 15s difference when compared to domestic rate!
Another very much distorted situation is the comparison of overseas postcard rate and domestic standard (less than 20s with white envelop) letter rate. The standard domestic letter rate is 60s but the overseas postcard rate (even for destinations Haiwai, Ethiopia, South Africa etc.) is 50s. The domestic rate is 10s more expensive than the overseas postcard rate!
It looks like there is something very wrong on the postal rates of Malaysian mail. Pos Malaysia may need to revise the postal rate again, and the next round of revision would most likely focus on the overseas rates. I believe the revision would be done "soon".
