It looks like taxi drivers may have lost the champion of their cause. According to a Malay Mail Online report, Big Blue Taxi Services’ owner Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail has had a change of heart and is now backing the legalisation of ride-sharing services.
He announced the turnaround after his company was supposedly robbed of RM8,000 by a driver three days ago. The driver, a man in his 50s and who had driven for Big Blue Taxi for six years, has since disappeared. “I have helped him out so many times and this is how he repays me,” Shamsubahrin said.
He had lodged a police report and will be taking the taxi company, which the missing driver had obtained his permit from, to court. The case will be filed under Section 43 of the Land Public Transport Act Section, which states that a company can be held responsible if a taxi driver is found guilty of any wrongdoing.
Shamsubahrin claims this is the first time any taxi company is being brought to court under the section. “The existing law we have is already strong but Land Public Transport Commission must be more effective and proactive in ensuring that we don’t allow unethical and immoral people to work as taxi drivers,” he explained.
With regards to ride-sharing services, Shamsubahrin said that because taxi drivers were unfazed by the competition from Uber and Grab by refusing to change, he was urging the government to speed up the process of regulating them. “I support the approval of Uber and GrabCar services,” he stated.
This is a stark contrast to the stand taken previously. In October, he had said that the government’s idea of encouraging aspiring ride-sharing drivers with a RM4,000 rebate to purchase a Proton Iriz was a clear indicator of the government’s intention to wipe out the taxi industry in favour of ride-sharing companies.
“You said you want to transform the taxi industry, but we saw nothing from the budget that was helpful to the taxi industry. Instead you promote the people to drive Uber,” he had then said.
He also took a swipe at the government’s initiative in handing out 12,000 individual permits to qualified taxi drivers, saying the policies appeared to be half-baked. “There is nothing concrete. If they want to really help and allow us to compete at a level playing field they should regulate Uber’s fares as well,” he said.
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Resistance is futile.
Finally he realised. Kena kat batang hidung sendiri baru nak insaf.
Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail is fighting for the rights for….. ohwai, he is confused and turns into a lalang.
Today was a gloomy day, I have a slight cold, my food was late, I was nearly late to the check in and my computer at work crash on me several times. But all the cloudy sky has gone now that I’ve read through this article. This is no U-turn… this is a sharp 180 degree handbreak turn and of all people his own cabby people and if I read correctly, is taking his own can company to court?
I was in Singapore the other day and cab drivers seems to be okay with the swarm of Uber and Grab cars in Sg. Cab drivers also consist of uncles that are very much civilized and above all, well dressed to their job as opposed to our uncultured taxi drivers, standing like samseng outside their ill-maintained and aging cars , smoking while herassing people ride as they exit their buses or shopping malls. Taxi services in Sg seems to be coexisting rather than antagonistic to the new found competition, pricing and services are parallel compared to the huge disparity you see in Malaysia.
The thief obtained his license from a different company.
Bcuz unlike other companies, the regulators don’t make it hard for their cab to survive. Any cost is minimal, but fair.
Here, hmmmmm ada krony nak cari makan, u know i know the rest.
Companies should be countries, sorry
I’m proud that a successful bumi entrepeuner like Sham is able to see the bigger picture here. no doubt he has some resistance to change, but can we really fault him? he build up his empire from scratch, open up employment opportunities to thousands of malaysians from all racial background so they can feed their families, single handledly help the tourism industry to prosper by providing safe and reliable transport.. im glad he has seen the light
– Faiz Roslan CEng
from scratch? only thing he scratches is his ball, singular for his ball.
you live in your own imaginary world i don’t blame you for your comment here, in fact, all of your comments are nonsense.
nonsense? My comments are welcomed by everyone here. Whats your beef with me? Do you only read internet news and believe everything they say? please la, got newspaper everywhere to report these news, got free news channels to tell you the current events, dont be katak bawah tempurung
– Faiz Roslan CEng
Everyone? That’s very ambitious statement Mr Ceng. I give you one thumbs down
local newspaper you read, local news on tv you watch, those free channels i think you refer to RTM, those are all regulated by the G, that’s why you are brain washed by the G, like a puppet, i don’t blame you, just pity you. i like to eat beef, do you cook beef?
I can’t agree with you. He is more like robbing from the poor. That’s why taxi drivers feel the pinch and rob from us customers. You ask 10 tourist, and 10 of them will reply you they got ripped off from Malaysian taxis, now how is that helping our tourism industry.
oh ya, the only light he should has seen is the light through the window in his prison cell.
In May 18 of last year (2015), Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail was sentenced to a total of 73 years’ jail for money-laundering and cheating National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp).
I have no idea why he is running around here and making all sorts of comments.
Or our Prison system can give free cuti to inmates?
If it only takes one man’s action to sway your opinions, you have no credible stance regardless of which side you are on.
Tt looks like Datuk has got some dedak and was told to shut up. Come on la, Uber is heavily invested by Khazanah and KWAP.
Gomen must have given this dude some contracts, now he shut up and support Uber. Real lalang.
Please go back to prison Datuk. Our Prison system is bogus.
FYI – Khazanah invested RM124million in Uber in September.
I almost uninstall my google chrome once see that face.
loose those balls..
Why this botak not in jail?
Have anybody made a polis report against him?
Deep down you still love him. LOL!!!
Diam la si botak! Suara besar sini sana. Klu you bermampuan, buat taxi industry baik2 la. Jgn suara besar shj, servis kau blh match ride-sharring? Semua tidak guna meter sini sana. Nampak kau, rakyat nak bayar RM5,000 untuk orang gunting semua rambut bahagian badan kau!
I’m confused. Do we start supporting cabbies now that he had jumped to our side?
Why are we even paying attention to this guy.
Aaah him again? my eyess.. my eyes, so pedih!
finally some sense came into him but only after kena rompak.
hahaha.. true dat..
Aiyahhh. Just wake up?. Or is he drama king?
When u can beat them,….
U-turn… U-turn…
So he is the Big Blue Taxi Services’ owner?
We don’t have to support the Big Blue Taxis then
This guy is like a child. Just because he got robbed by a taxi driver, he turns on all of them. No principles, these types are dangerous to deal with. Stay far, far away.
car rental company sudah ready for uber driver, thats why la u turn
why is this guy not in jail is exactly whats wrong in this country…
Have u made a polis report against him?
Of course he has to change his opinion la especially when Uber is backed by the government…say anymore and he might end up in jail for opposing them.
And yet pipu above r clamouring to jail him…
Of course gov will close your industry’s as no need to subsidy you and your worker when you all said susah dapat consumer. Nanti suruh gov subsidy tayar la, gas la, petrol la.. tapi utk ride sharing program tu, semua owner keluar sendiri. And also less headache and worry free about increase fare when you argue to do so. Of course at same time, gov will get another income for this ride sharing program after close your industry’s.
If ev car price 80 000 and petrol 2.50 sen tak ke mana peginya e sharing ni. Kerja sapu jalan dbkl lagi banyak untungnya if you not belive me ask puspakom snake.
oh my, i just terminate my internet cause that face
The robber got robbed… Ah the irony…
Sentiasa cakap kotak kosong. It doesn’t really matter to us if you want to support the approval of ride sharing app. What are you going to do if you support? Close down your company? Convert your taxis into UBER GRAB?
Anyhow all your statement in this article doesn’t convince me that you support the approval….
Spad please fast regulate ride sharing uber grab, speed up laa, tidor kee . I tell you i am not lazy i can get rm 5000 monthly .i wan this job i want to be grabber full time driver. Rakyat malaysia need grab uber car thyey dont want hear tax tax tax i anymire, please laa najib toooloooooooonnggggggggg.
The Most Recognized & Hated Botak in M’sia. Anyone agree
LOL. The ruling party higher echelon must have drilled him a new a$$h0!# & now he is towing the line. If Khazanah can see the potential & willing to invest, who is this botak to question the economist of Khazanah.
A face only a mother could love….