On this page about the postal services in Penang, we will get to know the post offices, mailings in Malaysia, postage, post boxes and letter boxes. I hope the information I have assembled will be useful to you.
Post Offices in Penang
Post Offices can be found throughout Penang Island. For more details, I have a page for it, Post Offices in Penang.
Letterboxes
Every household is expected to have a letterbox for the delivery of mails by the postman. Most of these are square boxes with a lip for the insertion of the mails, with the address often written on the box itself. There is no specific colour to letterboxes, though most people use red.
Mailings in Malaysia
When sending a letter, take note of the classification of mails by Pos Malaysia, implemented since 1 January, 2006.
Standard Mail are letters that weigh a maximum of 50 gms, having a height of 90 mm to 165 mm and the width of 140 mm to 250 mm. The width has to be equal or more than the height. The maximum thickness of the envelope should be between 0.25 mm to 6 mm. White envelopes are preferred although soft colours are allowed. You should avoid using staples or metal clips for your letters. Finally, a 15mm space at the base of the envelope should be left blank for the printing of bar codes.
Postage
Latest details of postage can be found on the Pos Malaysia website. This information below was last updated on 20 July, 2015.
USM Post Office (8 December 2009)
Standard Mails
Up to 20 grams: RM0.60
20g to 50g: RM0.70
A standard mail has to measure a minimum dimension of 140 mm (length) x 90 mm (width) to a maximum dimension of 250 mm (length) x 165 mm (width)
Non-standard mails encompass envelopes, boxes and rolls. Envelopes and boxes should have a maximum dimension of 600 mm (length) x 250 mm (width) x 30 mm (height). Rolls should have a maximum dimension of 600 mm (length) x 100 mm (diameter) and should not weigh over 2kg.
Postcards
Postcards should measure a minimum of 140 mm (length) x 90 mm (width) to a maximum of 148 mm (length) x 105 mm (width).
Air Mail
Air Mail services are available for delivery of letters to practically all countries of the world. An A to E zoning system is followed:
Zone 1: ASEAN countries: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam
Up to 20 grams: RM1.20, then RM0.40 for every 10 grams
Zone 2: Developing countries in Asia Pacific excluding ASEAN and industrialized countries in Asia Pacific listed under Zone C
Up to 20 grams: RM1.40, then RM0.60 for every 10 grams
Zone 3: Other countries
Up to 20 grams: RM2.00, then RM0.80 for every 10 grams
Courier Services
PosLaju is the courier service provided by Pos Malaysia. Established in 1986, Pos Laju enables the sending of documents and parcels using the Next Day Delivery, Same Day Delivery and Time Certain Service to Tokyo and Singapore. Through its affiliation with EMS (Express Mail Service), PosLaju offers international express deliveries to over 200 countries worldwide.
Registered Mail
Registered Mail or Posdaftar provides heightened security for sensitive documented. This ensures that the documents reach the intended recipients. A receipt is issued at time of mailing. The recipient is required to sign a delivery receipt upon being delivered the document, allowing the sender to check on the delivery.
Posdafter provides two additional services:
Acknowledgement of Receipt (AR Registered) This requires the recipient to acknowledge receipt by returning the Acknowledgement of Receipt card, which is then sent back to the sender. The AR fee is RM0.40 for addresses in Malaysia, RM0.60 for addresses in Singapore and Brunei, and RM1.00 for other countries.
Insurance
High-value documents can be insured with Posdaftar. The fee is RM1.50 for every RM100 value. The maximum value that can be insured for domestic delivery is RM3000.
Private Guided Tours of Penang
If you are seeking private guided tours of Penang, message Penang Tour Guides at penangtourguides@gmail.com and enquire with them.
Buy, rent or sell properties in Penang
Do you have a property for sale or to rent out? Are you looking to buy or rent a property? Get in touch with me. WhatsApp me (Timothy Tye) at 012 429 9844, and I will assign one of my property agents to serve you. I will choose the agent for you, according to your property needs. So when you message me, provide me some details of what you need, whether to sell, to buy, to rent or to rent out, and what type of property, is it condo, apartment, house, shop, office or land.
Looking for information on Penang? Use this Map of Roads in Penang to zoom in on information about Penang, brought to you road by road.
About this website
Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.
While I try my best to provide you information as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors and for outdated information which I am unaware. Nevertheless, I hope that what I have described here will be useful to you.