Compiled by MARTIN CARVALHO and JAROD LIM
AN e-hailing driver’s decision to charge an additional fee of RM20 to RM30 for using the air-conditioner in his vehicle triggered an uproar among netizens, Harian Metro reported.
The incident, which went viral on social media, was sparked when a passenger posted a photo of a notice in the e-hailing vehicle displaying the additional charge for air-conditioning ranging from RM20 to RM30 depending on the cooling level.
The notice states that the air-conditioner is only available for use in the front passenger seat.
Malaysian e-Hailing Alliance Secretariat chief Jose Rizal acknowledged that such a practice exists among some drivers due to poor understanding of their responsibilities as service providers.
He also blamed a lack of accreditation and regulations in the e-hailing sector as the main reason for such incidents which tarnished the image of e-hailing drivers.
“We have long recommended that the e-hailing industry be accredited more comprehensively and structured, taking into account the quality of services provided and ensuring the integrity of every driver,” he said.
Jose added that the lack of stricter accreditation and regulations would only result in such controversial issues.
He urged the government and e-hailing platforms to take immediate action to address them.
> Harian Metro also reported that a 61-year-old father gave up smoking so that he could donate his kidney to his 27-year-old son who is a doctor by profession.
Ayub Abdul Ghani, a retired construction worker, said he had long thought of quitting smoking because it was an unhealthy habit.
He finally gave up smoking three months ago so that he could donate one kidney to his son.
The son, Dr Mohamad Zulkifli, was in constant pain while working at Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II in Kota Baru, Kelantan.
His younger sister had initially wanted to donate her kidney but did not fulfil the health requirements.
“I was shocked when I found out five months ago that my father wanted to be a donor.
“I was touched as he had worked for a long time to support the family and now wanted to donate his kidney to me,” he said, adding that his father was a heavy smoker.
Dr Mohamad, who has six siblings, said his father’s meaningful sacrifice would never be forgotten.
The almost four-hour successful transplant procedure was done at Hospital Kuala Lumpur on Monday with Dr Mohamad posting about it on social media.
Many netizens wished him and his father well.
The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a, it denotes a separate news item.
