KUALA LUMPUR – Contradictory statements by the leadership of an association claiming to represent the majority of p-hailing riders indicate that not everyone is on the same page with this week’s “blackout” by Grab delivery riders.
Opposing statements made by the president and vice-president of Persatuan Penghantar P-Hailing Malaysia (Penghantar) over the blackout could be the reason why the event fizzled out yesterday, with only 100 riders turning up to protest the new fee and bonus structure.
The association on Thursday reportedly said it would remain “neutral” on the matter, but the press conference given by its vice-president Abdul Hakim Abdul Rani, during the gathering outside Grab Malaysia’s headquarters in Petaling Jaya yesterday revealed otherwise.
Just the night before, on Thursday evening, Bulletin TV3 quoted Penghantar president Zulhelmi Mansor as saying that the association would not be taking part in the protest on Friday.
Zulhelmi was not at yesterday’s gathering. Instead, it took on a political twist after Perikatan Nasional’s Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal and members of PAS mouthpiece Harakah showed up at the gathering.
Zulhelmi has now denied issuing the statement published by Buletin TV3. He pointed to Penghantar’s statement on January 17, in which the group representing p-hailing riders called for responsible parties to examine the earnings framework for the delivery workers.
“When have I ever said that? Where did Bulletin TV3 get that information from?” he asked when contacted by Scoop.
Hakim also told Scoop that Zulhelmi had never made such a statement.
“This might have been a statement that he made several years ago. He (Zulhelmi) just told me that he never made such a statement recently.”
According to the Registrar of Society’s database, Penghantar is a registered welfare association based in Selangor.
Wan Fayhsal’s appearance at the gathering yesterday lent credence to the assertion that the protest was politically motivated.
However, the Bersatu Youth chief and Machang MP denied organising the event and insisted that he joined the rally at the insistence of the riders.
Moreover, the lacklustre turnout yesterday raises questions about whether such associations had the support of the majority of the nation’s p-hailing riders, numbering in the tens of thousands.
The small blackout to demand higher fares yesterday comes despite Grab Malaysia revising its slew of benefits, including the revenue and incentive structure to provide fair compensation for delivery riders and p-hailing drivers, especially for orders that demand more time and effort.
The company recently said in a statement that the new revenue structure, effective January 16, particularly benefits the most active delivery partners.
While base fares have been revised, incentives have been increased for peak-hour deliveries, remote pick-ups, and additional waiting time during pick-ups.
The changes were made after receiving feedback over the last few months from p-hailing partners, with the additional amount from the fare going towards giving them higher incentives, such as bonuses for distant pickups, long wait times, and peak-hour deliveries.
As of the first quarter of 2023, 97% of Grab’s p-hailing partners across Southeast Asia earned above the minimum wage benchmarks in their respective countries.
It is understood that those who participated in the strike yesterday are mostly part-time p-hailing riders who are not necessarily active on the Grab platform. – January 20, 2024