Rahmah P-Hailing Package To Be Improved For Gig Workers' Benefit

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 (Bernama) — The Rahmah P-Hailing Package will be improved to ensure it fully benefits gig workers, particularly by providing affordable Internet services, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

He said his ministry would obtain analyses from relevant companies to assess and review the need for enhancements.

He noted that previous discussions had only involved telecommunications companies (telcos) and p-hailing service providers.

"Sometimes, information does not reach the riders. That is what I have observed. Moving forward, we may need to review the implementation of such initiatives because riders are not fully benefiting from them.

"Our intention is not to help companies but to assist the riders. So, I will request a post-mortem to determine how many people were involved... I will ask the ministry to coordinate this," he told reporters at the Temu Anak Muda Lembah Pantai programme, which was attended by around 150 people, including e-hailing and p-hailing workers, here today.

Fahmi, who is also the Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai, said he would review the suggestions from delivery riders regarding the need for designated rest stops with facilities for resting and prayer, which were raised during the programme’s Q&A session.

"During the (COVID-19)  pandemic, we regarded riders as frontliners who helped deliver food and parcels.

"Now that things have returned to normal, we must examine their welfare issues. There is no denying that basic facilities like these are necessary, so I will look into what can be done in the Lembah Pantai constituency," he said.

At the programme, Fahmi also distributed aid to delivery riders residing and working in the constituency.

He expressed hope that other parliamentary constituencies, especially those with a significant number of young people involved in the gig economy, would implement similar programmes to identify issues faced by workers and find solutions.

"We will expand this programme with more casual sessions, perhaps on a smaller scale, to allow closer interaction. Insya-Allah, during Ramadan, we will organise the Iftar Perdana Riders Lembah Pantai," he added.

  -- BERNAMA