THE Malaysian P-Hailing Delivery Riders Association has given Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook until the end of next week to resolve a host of issues faced by GrabFood riders”.
Stating that “matters like this can no longer be left alone”, its deputy president Abdul Hakim Abdul Rani said thus far there has been no response from Loke after the riders’ grouping submitted a memorandum to the Transport Ministry in Putrajaya on Friday (Feb 16).
Abdul Hakim nevertheless told HarakahDaily that the Seremban MP “is rumored to be asking for an explanation from GrabFood (food delivery service provider which is part of the Grab app) regarding the drastic reduction in base rates and bonuses, thus oppressing the GrabFood riders”.
Moreover, there was recently a statement from Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo regarding the proposed establishment of the Malaysian Gig Economy Commission which will be brought to the Cabinet.
“Nowadays we come across many cases where people involved in the gig economy activities are severely oppressed by some companies because they merely want to be profitable but couldn’t care less about the fate of their workers,” Abdul Hakim pointed out.
“So, with the establishment of the Malaysian Gig Economy Commission (SEGiM), not only would the rights of workers in the gig economy be protected but likewise the ecosystem itself can be better guarded.”
Delving further, Abdul Hakim said there is no point for a country to possess state-of-the-art technology that brings about enormous profit but “at the expense of the suffering of their low-level workers”.
He further revealed that such development not only happens within GrabFood but is also a practice by other companies in the gig economy.
“Therefore, I very much welcome the proposal to establish the Malaysian Gig Economy Commission because we need to monitor the existing ecosystem in the gig economy itself,” justified Abdul Hakim.
“After all, it is only through this way that we not only look after the welfare of gig economy workers but also to ensure healthy profit streams for industry players in the gig economy”. – Feb 22, 2024
