Rahmah p-hailing package eases rage of gig economy activists

The Rahmah p-hailing package announced by the government can help lower the rage over several issues plaguing the p-hailing community lately, said Malaysian eHailing Alliances chief activist Jose Rizal.

He said the low payment rates for food riders by a private company had become a dilemma for some food riders and welcomed the intervention by the government.

It indirectly eased the workload in the gig economy sector, besides online services with internet access being one of the community’s needs, he said.

“E-hailing and p-hailing workers may have a rather dynamic way of using the Internet because our average community is active in multiple tasks or work. For me it helps some of our community,” he told Bernama.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil on Tuesday announced the Rahmah p-hailing package which is an internet service offered at a price as low as RM33 with a 40GB data plan for p-hailing drivers and riders.

Jose hoped that such initiatives could be expanded so that the fate of the p-hailing community continues to be secured and further empower the gig economy sector in the country.

“I hope the government can consider initiatives such as vehicle maintenance, costs related to licence renewal, insurance, health checks, as well as the cost of equipment for activities such as food storage bags, helmets and others,” he said.

Sharing Jose’s view was Malaysian Association of Grab Drivers deputy president Mohd Azril Ahmat, who suggested the government extend the Rahmah Menu to gig economy industry players because of its potential to provide more profit to traders.

“The government has given a lot of subsidies to the people as well as the target groups, but I think the government can expand the Rahmah Menu, which seems to be getting a lukewarm response from traders now, to this group,” he said.

Mohd Azril said he also hoped that the internet access in the rural areas could be further improved.

“Jobs like this (p-hailing and ehailing) really, really need stable internet access... If there is no line, no jobs will come in,” he said.