KUALA LUMPUR: It will be up to motorcycle e-hailing companies to decide whether or not to offer passengers the option to pick the gender of their riders, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Kamaruddin Jaffar said if the service was introduced in the country, the Cabinet would not interfere in the rider-selection mechanism. This is despite growing concerns that such a service could be unIslamic and could leave room for criminal activities.
“The passenger can decide whether he wants a male or female rider when booking the service, but it will be up to the service provider whether or not to give this option,” he added.
He said such a provision would not be included in any legislation governing the service.
He was responding to a query by Datuk Mohd Salim Sharif (BN-Jempol) on whether or not the service would be in line with Syariah rules.
Kamaruddin said the same rules applied for motorcycle taxi riders as they did for taxi and e-hailing drivers.
He added that if the government agreed to allow motorcycle e-hailing services to operate in Malaysia, riders would be required to obtain a special licence, just like e-hailing drivers.
“The service will be regulated on similar requirements to ensure the safety of all passengers,” he said.
