Daily Express Subscriber
Sign in to your account.

OUR country – and the rest of the world – is facing a global health crisis. At the time of writing (26/04), Covid-19 has infected almost 3 million people. As Malaysians, we should be grateful that our country has kept the situation under control. It is an effort that must be commended.

We often hear praises for our medical frontliners and rightly so, as they have been in direct contact with infected patients and are working tirelessly to provide the best healthcare services for our nation. The police as well as the army are also to be commended, although some recent issues involving integrity and abuse of power should not be swept under the rug in spite of their efforts.

Little known but equally important are logistical services. I have a relative who works in the courier service and I am compelled by her experience to write this article highlighting their daily stresses. This is a time where customers should be more understanding, yet there are many who curse and yell at courier service staff when they cannot deliver their items. I was told that a customer uttered profanities at a front desk clerk because said customer’s item was not yet delivered. When questioned what the item was and whether it was essential, she replied that it was a phone case from China. This begs the question—was the phone case really necessary during this period? Are our citizens even aware that logistical and courier services play an important part in delivering essential medical supplies? Perhaps those who feel that their own packages are more important than those medical supplies and equipment should re-evaluate their sense of priority.

Despite proper procedure being established in self-pickup areas to minimize crowds, far too often I have heard about impatient customers ignoring social distancing when going to collect their items. This particular issue has caused concern among my relative as well as their colleagues. They are worried of being exposed to infection due to customers disregarding their repeated warnings to maintain social distancing.

The nation is currently grappling with a health crisis, yet many seem to think that their packages are worth more than their health and that of the public.

Many customers tend to visit the courier companies for self-pickup. It may be understandable if the item is an urgent item or an expensive one, but like the phone case example given above, it truly boggles the mind why that individual could not wait. Coming to self-pickup increases the risk of transmission, not only for other customers but also for the staff. Imagine if one sick customer visits the courier company to pick up his or her item and is later tested positive. The premises would have to shut down for disinfection and the staff would have to be quarantined. Many more packages would pile up and remain undelivered. Think about that. Do we really want logistical companies to shut down and be unable to deliver your items? Including important medical supplies?

Any rational individual would surely realize that there will definitely be some delays in delivering their packages with the MCO going on. By now, everyone should be aware that working hours have been shortened. During this time, I imagine that every logistical company would prioritize delivery of medical supplies as well as medical equipment to hospitals and pharmacies. Customers should therefore be mindful of this.

A reminder to those who shop online: be prepared to wait longer periods – the surge in online shopping has led to an exponential increase in shipment, thereby adding more work to already overworked courier companies. The delivery of medical equipment across different regions and nations has also faced a tremendous amount of problem.

In Sabah, for example, some couriers have to drive all the way to Sarawak. This requires crossing borders to Brunei and then to Sarawak. Different states have different SOPs, what more different countries? Even travelling within Sabah itself is difficult, with stringent roadblocks delaying shipments. Lorry drivers sometimes have to spend an entire day driving, only to be told that they are unable to pass through when they reach the border because of a sudden SOP change. It is not uncommon for them to spend their night waiting there, with no food and having to rest within the confines of their lorry. This, coupled with the various different paperwork involved and often overly-rigorous checking, makes it very difficult for them to deliver shipments on time.

Think about the plight of these individuals. Imagine being a clerk or a customer service representative that has to suffer a daily slew of abuse from customers. Imagine being a lorry driver who has to drive all day and sleep in his lorry just to try and deliver a whole batch of shipment on time. Our logistical services are our frontliners too. They may not have the same publicity as frontliners in the medical and security fields, but they are working behind the scenes to ensure that medical supplies and your packages are being delivered to you.

Let us all be united as one nation. Be kinder and be more understanding. A little bit goes a long way in helping each other brave through this trying time. The situation may change in the future when the MCO is lifted and things gradually return back to normal, but it cannot be denied that Covid-19 will be part-and-parcel of our lives for the next couple of years.