COURIER companies have dismissed concerns that delivery services have come to a halt because of the movement-control order (MCO).

Delays in delivery are due to a spike in orders for goods and products as more people remain confined to their homes, the companies said.

Another factor driving demand is discounts offered by online shopping platforms.

Courier firms were asked to respond to complaints on social media, including photos of towering piles of packages at storage facilities in Kuala Lumpur and Johor waiting to be delivered. 

The photos were circulated while customer complaints about delays receiving their orders.  

DHL managing director Julian Neo acknowledged that customers may experience slight delays under the MCO.

“Due to the Malaysian government’s movement-control order, DHL Express’s pick-up and delivery services could experience some delays but the company will continue to support the delivery of essential goods, subject to local constraints,” he said in a statement to The Malaysian Insight.

DHL declined to comment on its staff strength during this period. 

The nation’s oldest and largest network courier service provider, Pos Malaysia, which employs more than 15,000 personnel nationwide, has set up alternative services for customers and businesses to receive and post parcels during the MCO. 

One of them is EziBox, which is a self-service facility that operates 24 hours a day, where customers can pick up their packages delivered to the nearest lockers. 

Poslaju has also partnered up with Shopee Malaysia and launched the “stay home essentials” campaign. 

The campaign until April 25 aims to encourage Malaysians to purchase goods without leaving their homes. 

Customers can purchase goods via Shopee and have them delivered by Poslaju, it said in an email to The Malaysian Insight.

Another company, J&T Express said it would restore delivery services to red zone areas, which are areas with more than 40 cases of Covid-19 infections.

“We regret misleading red zone news released by staff members (that we will not be delivering to these places.

“We will restore delivery service but it is undeniable that restrictions within the red zone areas will slightly affect time of delivery,” the company said in a recent statement.

Courier companies have also changed operating times under the MCO, and have asked customers to check for updates on their social media pages.

For courier service lorry driver Firdaus, who would only give his first name, the spike in orders has deliverymen like him running around more than usual.

“Riders now deliver around 40% more items than they usually do on normal days.

“Lorry drivers have to work twice as hard as there are too many items at the collection centre that need to be delivered to distribution centres,” said the 29-year-old who works with J&T Express.

Smaller delivery companies have an average of 10 to 12 deliverymen but the increase in orders since the MCO began on March 18 has seen some companies hire part-time workers, who are paid according to the number of items delivered.

The month-long MCO is scheduled to end on Tuesday with the government announcing today if it will be extended.

Under the order, police roadblocks have been set up on many roads and highways, causing traffic delays, in a bid to discourage people from leaving their homes and to check for MCO violators.

The order requires people to stay at home and to go out only to buy food and essential items within a 10km radius, or for medical emergencies. – April 10, 2020.