Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim having met with p-hailing service operators.
AFTER six months have gone by with inaction on the part of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to resolve their impending woes, a group of Grab p-hailing food delivery riders have apparently resorted to channel their grouses to Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal instead.
Soon after yesterday’s (Jan 19) Friday prayer, the Machang MP claimed that he was invited by a group of Grab p-hailing food delivery youths to receive their complaints and memorandum regarding the base rate that is increasingly suppressing their source of livelihood.
“With people’s economy worsening with rising prices of goods, the welfare of gig economy workers like these food delivery guys are severely affected. They won’t do open protests like this unless they are absolutely desperate,” tweeted Wan Ahmad Fayhsal on the X (formerly Twitter) platform.
MANA JANJI KERAJAAN MADANI KEPADA PENGHANTAR MAKANAN P-HAILING?
Lepas Solat Jumaat tadi saya telah dijemput oleh sekumpulan anak muda penghantar makanan p-hailing Grab untuk menerima aduan dan memorandum mereka berkenaan kadar upah asas (base rate) yang semakin menekan punca… pic.twitter.com/oDC6ITh0Jl
— Wan Ahmad Fayhsal (@wanfayhsal) January 19, 2024
However, upon further research by FocusM, it has been discovered that Anwar had met with 24 p-hailing service operators on Aug 8 last year following the commitment he has given during his townhall meeting with p-hailing riders on July 22. Below is his tweet:
Saya telah mengadakan perjumpaan dengan 24 syarikat pengendali perkhidmatan parcel hailing (P-Hailing) susulan komitmen yang saya berikan semasa perjumpaan bersama rakan-rakan penghantar pada 22 Julai lalu.
Menteri Pengangkutan, Menteri Komunikasi dan Digital, Menteri Sumber… pic.twitter.com/Cyl27RDcBH
— Anwar Ibrahim (@anwaribrahim) August 8, 2023
Recall that Anwar who is also the Finance Minister had requested p-hailing riders (a term used to describe booking of motorcycles to deliver parcels and food) to give him one week to meet with delivery operators to resolve their woes.
“Give me one week and I will call up all p-hailing companies and meet them at the PM’s Office. I understand that making RM2,000 a month is not enough,” he told a question and answer (Q&A) session at the “Temu Anwar: Selangor X Belia P-Hailing” dialogue session.
Among other, p-hailing riders had told Anwar that their order fees have been reduced from RM7 per order to less than RM5 to which the latter requested for a one-week period for him to arrange for a meeting with the operators.
Henceforth, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal may need to retract his accusation that Anwar has failed to fulfill his promise lest his intention could be mistaken for “riding on the p-hailing riders to gain political mileage”.
“Where are the ministers involved? Why is there an absolute silence? What is the result of the negotiation between the government and Grab? The riders demand fair defence of their plight!” berated the former deputy national unity minister.
“We the MPs of Perikatan Nasional (PN) will continue to fight for the voice and fate of gig economy workers especially youths involved in p-hailing and e-hailing!” – Jan 20, 2024
