Following talks with Gojek, Malaysia says yes to bike-hailing

Malaysia’s Cabinet has agreed in principle to allow motorcycle-based ride-hailing services, reports local publication The Star. 

The decision came two days after Gojek’s founder Nadiem Makarim met with Malaysia’s Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and Transport Minister Anthony Loke, to discuss the possibility of introducing Gojek’s motorcycle-hailing service to Malaysia in an effort to help motorcyclist generate more stable income.

The proposal resulted in some criticisms that the government was helping a foreign company expand rather than supporting homegrown startup like Dego Ride, which was the first operator to provide bike-hailing service in Malaysia but was banned in March 2017 by the Cabinet due to safety concerns, according to Malay Mail. 

The Cabinet gave the green light to introducing motorcycle ride-hailing service in Malaysia today, and the Youth and Sports Ministry will work together with the Transport Ministry to regulate the industry so it can operate legally.

It is estimated that the Ministries might take one to two months to devise a way to implement this new service, after which the proposal has to be presented to the Cabinet for approval.