TAXI DRIVERS WANT LOKE TO GO, NOT DR M
Transport minister to blame over issues affecting taxi industry, says cabbie rep
THE peaceful gathering of taxi drivers, which had been planned for today at Padang Merbok here, was not supposed to be a show of protest against the government or to call for the resignation of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad over the failure to solve issues between cabbies and Grab.
Gabungan Teksi SeMalaysia head Kamarundin Hussain said taxi drivers in the group were among the first to voice support for Pakatan Harapan when Barisan Nasional was in power.
On that note, he said the main purpose of the gathering was to demand the resignation of Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
Kamarundin claimed that “the whole of Malaysia knew that Loke was the reason why the issue between cabbies and Grab could not be resolved”.
He said the failure had exposed taxi drivers to attacks from various quarters, particularly public transport users.
“The explanation by the prime minister in a dialogue with taxi drivers in Langkawi clearly shows that the minister involved (Loke) did not heed what Dr Mahathir repeatedly asked for,” he said, adding that it did not make sense for them to demand the resignation of Dr Mahathir.
Instead, he said the individual who should be blamed was Loke.
Big Blue Capital (M) Sdn Bhd founder Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail, who claimed to represent taxi drivers, had previously announced the peaceful gathering, saying it would be attended by some 3,000 taxi drivers nationwide to protest the alleged injustice linked to Grab.
A call was also made for Loke and Land Public Transport Commission chief executive officer Mohd Azharuddin Mat Sah to be sacked over their alleged failure to resolve the issue.
Kamarundin, who is also chairman of the Association for the Transformation of Malaysian Taxi Drivers, said the association’s involvement in the gathering should not be misinterpreted as going against Dr Mahathir or the government.