FedEx remains committed to Malaysian Market
Leading airfreight forwading company Federal Express, has pledged to remain committed to the Malaysian market and build even a stronger presence in the country.
Managing director of Federal Express Services (M) Sdn Bhd (Malaysia and Brunei) Ramesh Kumar Singam said it expects to achieve this by providing the best of products while enhancing its security features for the interest of its customers.
He said while some people believed that air transportation can only carry small documents, FedEx had come a long way to prove that it can do more for customers including delivering heavyweight products, door-to-door.
"We want customers in Malaysia to realise that FedEx can offer more to serve them including carrying big and heavyweight products," he told Bernama recently.
Despite some glitches in the world air transportation industry of late, FedEx has remained committed to the Malaysian market since it first established its presence here when the parent company bought the "Flying Tigers" a famous all-cargo airliner in 1989.
It serves two major airports in the country Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang and Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas.
Today FedEx operates its own MD-11 aircraft into Kuala Lumpur and Penang once a day and A310 on Saturdays.
Ramesh said that Penang and Kuala Lumpur were among its most important markets with around the clock demand for airfreight delivery services from large manufacturers.
Both cities became part of its AsiaOne Network when it was launched in September 1995. AsiaOne now provides overnight delivery to 19 major commercial centres in Asia and to North America and Mexico City.
"Penang is like the "Silicon Valley" for Asia, so we have lots of large manufacturers that require just in-time process (of delivery) and we manage to meet that demand so well," he said.
A landmark event for FedEx in Malaysia was the opening of its new cargo handling facility at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, in July 1998.
The facility handled about 3,000 documents and packages an hour initially and has the potential to increase this to 6,000 packages and documents per hour to meet anticipated demand.
Today with over 400 employees, FedEx has five centres located in Petaling Jaya, Penang, Johor Bahru, Ipoh in West Malaysia and one centre in Kuching, Sarawak.
When asked on their security features particularly in the aftermath of the Sept 11 incident in the U.S, Ramesh said the safety of its employees and customers and the security of the shipments remained their top priority.
"It is about restoring customers' confidence, and we have always given priority to this issue even prior to the (Sept 11) incident," he added.
"We have always stayed close to our outstanding security, policies and procedures," he said.
On its new community project, Ramesh said FedEx has teamed up with National Geographic Channel to bring in and exhibit the life-sized creation of Sarcosuchus imperator (meaning flesh crocodile emperor and nicknamed SuperCroc) in Kuala Lumpur.
SuperCroc is a 12-metre long crocodile weighing 9,000 kilograms that lived over 110 million years ago. Its fossilized bones were discovered in the Sahara by National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr Paul Sereno.
The SuperCroc Exhibition (Feb 16 to 26) is being held at the Mid Valley Megamall here.
When asked on the project, Ramesh said the partnership with National Geographic was one of the efforts by FedEx to do their bit for the good of the community, especially children.
"It fits well with our operations as we are able to move things in any size and shapes," he said adding that such efforts could also show the company's strength and ability.
"Our routine business is in carrying high-tech and high-value shipments, but we also have a long tradition of using our strength and logistical capabilities to serve all," he added.
