Uber and Grabcar

Uber and Grabcar are the modern possibilities for operators and consumers



 I believe the conventional taxis have served us for so many decades and there are pros and cons of their existence in the age of cyber.

We have also gone through a long time for rural to urban or vice versa travel with the dangerously drivers in “pirate taxi”.

I can see a legitimate challenge by the taxis against the modern travel by Uber and Grabcar for some technicalities cum legalities.

 We have read about two Uber drivers arrested in Kota Kinabalu with their cars confiscated. What is next is any body guess.


I am not a regular user of taxis but we all know what kind of services they do provide. I tried to contact a taxi urgently with the only one in my handphone but I was told that he was in Kundasang when I was in Kota Kinabalu. We do have problems in contacting any good taxi. I had to wait for 2 hours for my friend who came to KK from Kuala Lumpur for the first time as he was using taxi to move around Kota Kinabalu. The taxi he was in could not bring him to 88 Marketplace from Putatan which is less than 15 minutes away. I tried to convey the place and landmarks in the areas to the taxi driver but still no idea of the vicinity and finally my friend was abandoned in Cybercity and my friend took another taxi to come to see me but after a very long wait of a couple hours. Was the driver also a “stranger” to the area? Was the driver a part time illegal one?

Maybe it is timely that the local taxis take advantage of the present cyber software made available to Uber and Grabcar as both these companies do offer to all drivers online and all these drivers need to do is to apply to join Uber and/or Grabcar for win-win scenario to the existing taxi drivers and the travelling consumers and tourists with the very efficient service provided by these two high tech companies. I think the present static taxis spend too much time waiting for customers in fixed locations which can be very far away from the traveling consumers as and when they need taxis. The needs of most travelling public would be urgent as and when required but some taxis drivers may not know certain locations.

We need to appreciate how Uber and Grabcar can also change or transform the life of the taxi drivers and keep the costs of travel within KK lower thus encouraging more people to go that way rather drive their own cars in already congested KK with limited parking spaces. Once the smart handphones are registered with Uber and Grabcar, the users would have very easy access to the services at exceedingly quick time.

 The drivers would be guided in the route from destination A to destination B using the provision of google earth made available with recent Google’s update of KK. At the time of order for Uber car, the user can get an estimated quotation and the time to arrive at the pick up point within a few minutes.


Once the order is confirmed, the user would be given detail of the car and car number and the driver name in the handphone. There is no hassle to order Uber car and tempted to use it again. The back up service online is also good.


 So the positive response from all existing taxis should seriously consider the option to be registered for Uber and /or Grabcar as such technology can enable taxi drivers and consumers to contribute to better service in the travel sector.

 Joshua Y. C. Kong 28 Sept 2016

old letter-- Gov't must explain losses by EPF subsidiaries

https://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/25577

 Gov't must explain losses by EPF subsidiaries 0 comments Joshua YC Kong, Kota Kinabalu Published 27 Jun 2003, 7:38 am Updated 29 Jan 2008, 6:21 pm


 According to the Star , Malaysia Building Society Bhd (MBSB) has seen its shareholders' funds plummet from RM1.1 billion to a mere RM70 million at the end of last year due to losses incurred over the five-year period to 2002. MBSB is a subsidiary of the Employees' Provident Fund and has been in business for a few decades. It is only among the many KLSE-listed companies, apart from PN4 companies, that caused much financial loss to the EPF - amounting to billions in recent years.

 I wonder if civil servants pensions are also paid from EPF? It is easy to point the finger at the 1997 financial crisis for this massive loss, when in fact this loan company should have good collateral on mortgaged properties.

What has gone awry? It is time that the government investigate this company and other loss-making companies to better explain why EPF dividends cannot be increased to at least eight percent.