A CONSUMER rights activist has criticised the proposal to impose a minimum delivery price for courier services, saying such a measure does not address the underlying challenges faced by Malaysia’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and online sellers.
While several quarters have highlighted the difficult operating conditions faced by courier operators, Consumer Choice Center representative Tarmizi Anuwar stressed that delivery reliability is a critical issue for MSMEs.
“For sellers, delivery reliability directly affects customer trust, cart conversion, and repeat purchases,” he stressed.
“Delays, missed pickups, stagnant tracking updates, and unpredictable routing are already common. When deliveries go wrong, customers blame the seller not the courier.”
Warning that introducing a price floor does not guarantee improved service, Tarmizi pointed out that higher delivery fees do not automatically translate into better or more reliable services, adding that without structural reforms, raising prices risks rewarding substandard performance while eroding the thin margins of MSMEs.
The statement emphasised that past coverage focusing on cost benchmarking, transparency, and collaborative efforts resonated more with MSMEs because these approaches addressed operational realities.
In contrast, the recent push for price intervention shifts the narrative away from competitiveness, scale, and innovation toward measures that may resemble protectionism.
“Temporary relief for some operators will not solve the core issues sellers face: inconsistent service quality, opaque problem-resolution processes, and rising customer expectations,” Tarmizi continued.
“A truly competitive and future-ready logistics sector cannot be built by making deliveries more expensive while leaving the system itself unchanged.”
Calling for policymakers to consider solutions that support both sellers and buyers, Tarmizi said, “Malaysia’s MSMEs drive a significant share of the digital economy. Any solution affecting logistics costs must address reliability and efficiency, not just prices, to strengthen the sector sustainably.” ‒ Focus Malaysia
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