CYBERJAYA: Pos Malaysia Bhd (Pos Malaysia) has introduced e-Philately, a new application to serve as a source of reference for stamp collectors and enthusiasts, both locally and globally, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo.
He said the e-Philately app produced by Pos Malaysia in collaboration with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the Philatelic Society of Malaysia (PSM) would serve as a platform for philatelists (those who collect or study stamps) to gather in cyberspace for the purpose of buying, selling or bidding for stamps.
He said the philatelists could also discuss the latest developments on stamps and other philatelic products via the app that could be navigated through www.ephilately.my.
“By using the app, users will gain a ‘one-of-a-kind’ experience offered by the philately world via the interactive section provided. All information including on the current ones (products) can be found in this application through the links, among others, knowledge sharing, philately gallery and news.
“I believe this will enhance our appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products and hope that these continuous efforts will help revive the hobby of collecting stamps among the younger generation,” he said in his speech at the World Post Day celebration here yesterday.
Gobind Singh said Pos Malaysia had issued over 1,700 stamps of various themes such as flora and fauna, birthday celebrations and events, commemorating the country’s important history.
“As such, stamps are important monuments, need to be preserved as they serve as a witness for every event that has occurred and has its own aesthetics.
“Recognising its importance, the idea to create a digital app was then mooted, to serve as a source of reference for every Malaysian as well as globally,” he said.
Gobind Singh also launched the Post Innovation & Technology Collaborative Hive (P.I.T.C.H) competition, organised for the first time, aimed at uncovering new and existing industry players, to design and develop concepts that are capable of providing digital solutions in the last mile delivery.
He said the technological innovation competition would be the catalyst for the logistics, postal and courier industry as the most important catalyst for the e-Commerce segment, with the closing date on Oct 15.
P.I.T.C.H, is jointly organised by Pos Malaysia and the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), where the shortlisted participants would be given the opportunity to present their ideas in a special session to be held on Nov 8.
Meanwhile, Gobind Singh said the Department of Statistics Malaysia showed that e-Commerce had contributed RM74.6 billion (6.1 per cent) in 2016, from RM68.3 billion (5.9 per cent) in 2015.
He said this data had formed the basis of the National E-Commerce Strategic Plan that aimed at increasing the country’s e-Commerce growth rate to 20 per cent by 2020 and this would contribute RM211 billion in value to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). — Bernama