DAP National Political Education Director and MP for Kluang, Liew Chin Tong, Claims that DAP are against the legalisation of e-hailing services is an attempt to shift focus away from an ongoing bribery probe involving Putrajaya-backed institutions and Uber.
Liew had earlier called on Putrajaya to respond to reports that Uber is now reviewing a web financial arrangements made by its operations in Malaysia to determine if there was any quid pro quo involved before the government legalised ride-sharing businesses earlier this year.
According to a Bloomberg report, Uber is looking into a US$30 million (RM125.9 million) investment that Malaysia’s Retirement Fund Inc made in Uber last year, and a donation made by Uber to the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MAGIC) at the same time.
Liew said that there is a 'probability' of conflict of interest and that Malaysian funds should disclose any investments they have made in Uber. Amendments to the Land Public Transport Act 2010 was passed by the Dewan Rakyat in July, which effectively make Uber and Grab legal in Malaysia.
On Thursday, Liew had called on Secretary-General of the Treasury Irwan Serigar and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Nancy Shukri to respond to a Bloomberg report on 20/09/2017entitled 'Uber Faces Widespread Asia Bribery Allegations Amid U.S. Criminal Probe'.
The news piece alleges that, 'Attorneys are focused on suspicious activity in at least five Asian countries: China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea. For instance, Uber’s law firm is reviewing a web of financial arrangements tied to the Malaysian government that may have influenced lawmakers there.'
In her respond to the allegations made, Datuk Nancy Shukri explained that there have not been any wrongdoings involving ride-hailing service Uber amid corruption allegations. Datuk Nancy said that there has not been any quid pro quo arrangement that affected decision-making in relation to the regulation of the ride-hailing business here.
Datuk Nancy subsequently dismissed Liew's remarks, pointing out that the Kluang MP had never raised the issue during the previous parliamentary session in July despite claiming to have done so. Datuk Nancy, who oversees Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat (SPAD), pointed out that the government had always been consistent in its initiatives to transform the local taxi industry since 2012.
Datuk Nancy also said that local taxi companies recognised the value of ride-hailing services, as there are four taxi companies which launched similar apps recently, such as "2GO", "eevom", "EzCab" and "PICKnGO". She said that all these serve to demonstrate that ride-hailing services has gained widespread acceptance, here and elsewhere, for their invaluable role in matching supply and demand in real time, among others.