Tun M's meeting with taxi drivers' disrupted by drivers angered over Grab (Updated)

PETALING JAYA: "I can resign today ... it is no problem to me," Tun Dr Mahathir said today.

"It's not that I want to be prime minister. I had retired, but people called me back ... that's why I came."
"If you don't want me to be the prime minister, I can resign," he said at a dialogue session with about 200 taxi drivers in Langkawi.
Earlier during the session, several cabbies became upset when Mahathir could not give an assurance that e-hailing service Grab would be outlawed.
Some of them hurled abuses at Mahathir and walked out of the venue after he said he would continue to find the best way to resolve the issue for the benefit of all quarters.
"But we can make them equal to taxis," said Mahathir, adding that to ensure fair competition, Grab drivers would be required to use vehicles approved by the government as well as pay insurance and taxes just like normal taxis.
"If (you) don't believe that I can (help), do it yourself. See what happens. I want to help, but if you don't help me, I cannot help," said Mahathir, adding he had no issue with resigning if he was unwanted.
After the situation had calmed down, Mahathir said as the prime minister, he was only trying to help the taxi drivers.
"I have brought this up in Cabinet. I told the minister (of transport) to fix it but unfortunately, there has been no progress yet."
Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak also stepped into the debate yesterday by asking Pakatan Harapan to keep to its purported pledge to abolish ride-hailing services such as Grab.
This was despite Mahathir having denied making such a promise before the 14th general election (GE14).
Najib said on Facebook that among the main reasons taxi drivers felt rejected and badmouthed Barisan Nasional was due to the false news spread among cabbies before GE14 that Pakatan Harapan would ban e-hailing services if they came into power.
"Apart from the false promise, there was also claims that my wife supposedly owns Grab, which added to their hatred," Najib said.
Mahathir has denied making such a pledge, saying he had instead called for a review to ensure that the rights of both e-hailing services stakeholders and taxi drivers are protected.