Daily grind: Taxi drivers who ferry passengers between Johor Baru and Singapore are voicing their concerns after losing their elegibility for STR payments. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
JOHOR BARU: For cross-border taxi driver Hisham Hishamuddin, even a few hundred ringgit in government assistance makes a big impact on his family in coping with the rising cost of living.
The 33-year-old former engineer, who took over his late father’s Johor Baru-Singapore taxi service five years ago, said he was surprised to find that he had not received any Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) assistance this year.
This was despite him being a recipient previously.
Hisham, who crosses the border into Singapore numerous times a month for work, will need to appeal to have his STR assistance reinstated.
“It was a tough decision for me to make a career switch from an engineer to a taxi driver, but I had to assume my father’s taxi loans after he passed away.
“I am the sole breadwinner in my family. With three young children, one of whom has just started kindergarten, and a study loan to repay, every form of assistance counts,” he said in an interview.
Hisham said he used to receive several hundred ringgit in STR payments last year, which helped pay his daily expenses.
It was earlier reported that Malaysians who travel abroad more than eight times a month risk losing their eligibility for STR payments in a move to ensure that the assistance benefits those who genuinely reside in the country.
However, Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong had since urged those affected, including Malaysians who travel to Singapore frequently for work such as drivers working for local logistics companies, to submit an appeal through the relevant channels.
As a Johor Baru-Singapore taxi driver operating from Larkin Sentral, Hisham said he crossed the border daily to ferry passengers.
“We exit the country more than eight times a month, but people don’t see the long hours we spend waiting in Singapore for passengers to return to Johor Baru.
“If we come back with an empty car, it is a loss. There were many times when I had to sleep in my taxi and spend money on meals in Singapore just to wait for passengers,” he said.
Competition from illegal operators, which has been going on for years, has further squeezed earnings, said Hisham.
“People think being a cross-border taxi driver is easy, but some months we barely scrape by,” he said.
Pertubuhan Muafakat Pengusaha dan Pemandu Bas Negeri Johor deputy chairman Usman Haron said the process of appealing for their STR assistance to be reinstated added another hurdle.
“This has left many feeling neglected.
“We hope the government will take drivers’ welfare into account when designing the aid distribution mechanism,” he said.
“Many bus drivers in Johor Baru, especially tour and factory bus drivers, cross the border daily for work. They are not travelling for leisure.”
Many drivers, noted Usman, fall within the B40 group and have families to support, making STR especially important as the festive season approaches.
On Jan 25, Liew explained that travelling overseas eight times or more a month is considered a “significant period spent abroad”.
“One to seven trips a month is still considered normal and acceptable for reasons such as medical treatment, emergencies, short-term assignments or family matters.
“Eight times or more a month is interpreted as a significant period spent overseas,” he said in a Facebook post.
Liew said some Johor Baru residents had asked him whether frequent border crossings would affect their eligibility for STR, a targeted cash assistance initiative for Malaysian citizens.
He said the Inland Revenue Board, which handles the disbursement of the aid, cross-checks applicants’ information with data from multiple agencies, including the Immigration Department, to ensure fair distribution and prevent misuse.
He said claims that STR was automatically “cancelled” for frequent travellers to Singapore are misleading as the applications are marked as “Not Approved” (under Reason Code 31) when an applicant or their spouse is deemed to be living, working or studying abroad.
However, Liew said the government was aware of the concerns raised.
