SPAD denies KBT1M will only be given after GE

KUALA LUMPUR: The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) today denied a claim being circulated on the social media that the assistance card for taxi drivers would only be distributed after the general election.
In a statement issued here today, SPAD said the claim was not true and that it would not hesitate to lodge a police report if such an allegation continued to be disseminated.
"The allegation is false because thousands of drivers have collected their cards after it was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak on April 13 at the Malaysian Agriculture Exposition Park in Serdang (MAEPS), and the cards were activated immediately after the drivers collected them," it said.
The statement was issued following a statement being viralled on the social media saying that taxi drivers were angry after being told that they would only get the 1Malaysia Taxi Drivers Assistance Card after the general election.
The commission also said there was no need for taxi drivers to worry because SPAD had prepared 67,000 cards and that they could collect the cards within three months until July 16 at any SPAD branch office.
As for taxi drivers in Sabah and Sarawak, it said the time and date for them to collect the cards would be announced soon by the respective state Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board.
"All cards will be activated after they are collected by taxi drivers, who can spend up to the value of RM800 to buy petrol and NGV at any Petronas station in the country," it said.
More information on the 1Malaysia Taxi Aid Card, can be obtained at ww.spad.gov.my/ms/pengusaha-kenderaan/teksi/kad-bantuan-teksi-1malaysia. — AFP