Cabbies protest Uber and GrabCar in KL city

KUALA LUMPUR: Dozens of taxi drivers are gathering in the city to protest against ridesharing apps Uber and GrabCar.

Grouping at the Padang Merbok carpark at about 10am, many have brought their own taxis, parking them here.

"Long live taxis!" some of them shouted, holding placards calling for Uber and GrabCar to be banned.

Led by the Klang Valley Taxi Drivers Action Committee, the drivers are demanding for Uber and GrabCar to be banned, claiming the ridesharing competition has caused them a loss in income.

They claim that the Land Public Transport Commission has not been firm enough in going after Uber and GrabCar, and want its leadership to be "reshuffled".

Some taxis were also decked out with Malaysian flags.

A banner calling for SPAD chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar's resignation was also hung up.

PAS-Temerloh Member of Parliament Nasrudin Hassan was spotted giving his support to the drivers. A few people wearing Otai Reformis T-shirts were also seen shouting slogans along with the taxi drivers.

At about 11am, the drivers left the carpark and made their way to Jalan Parlimen, and marched on the sidewalk towards Parliament.

By this time, they numbered in the hundreds with many spilling out onto the road about 100m from Parliament's gates.

They were stopped by police there, who told them to move onto the sidewalk.

Setting up there, the protestors waved their placards and shouted slogans at Members of Parliament that drove out of the compound.

Within minutes, they were joined by Pakatan Harapan and PAS MPs who came to give their support.

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail came with a few others to collect a memorandum handed by the taxi drivers, who cheered them on.

Barisan MPs did not meet with any of the drivers gathered here.

At about 12.15am, the drivers marched away from Parliament back to the Padang Merbok carpark.

There, organizers claimed that the protest was a success and vowed to have another if the Government did not listen to their demands.

"If there is no response or the right attention from the Government, we will have another large demonstration on several main roads," organiser Kamarudin Mohd Hussain told reporters.

Speaking to reporters later, SPAD chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar did not seem worried with the protestors.

"They can say what they want to say, but we are sure that we want to improve (their) livelihood and we are working now for the betterment of all taxis," he said.