The controversy erupted earlier this week when a screenshot went viral on social media, showing that the cost to book a ride with a Mandarin-speaking driver was up to 50 per cent higher than for similar rides without the language requirement.
It provoked outrage in Malaysia, where identity politics and rising ethno-nationalism have deepened mistrust between the Malay majority and the country’s ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.
In response, the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad) issued a reminder to e-hailing providers that their licensing conditions require booking systems to be “fair and equitable to all drivers”. The agency warned that discrimination against e-hailing drivers was a criminal offence, carrying penalties of up to 200,000 ringgit (US$47,200) in fines and two years’ imprisonment.
Apad, in a statement on Thursday, said it was “committed to ensuring the sustainability of e-hailing services as a fair and inclusive public transportation service that is free from any form of discrimination towards all stakeholders”.
“This experiment was crucial in testing the sustainability and demand among tourists, as we work towards introducing support for additional languages,” Grab said in a statement on Thursday.
