SPAD to probe claims of Rohingyas operating pirate taxis

The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) will investigate claims that a group of Rohingya refugees are conducting a pirate taxi service in parts of Selangor.

"SPAD will investigate the matter and if found guilty, we will take stern action against those involved," said SPAD Enforcement Division chief Datuk Che Hasni Che Ahmad (pic).

He said that prior to this, SPAD had not received any complaints from the public on this issue.

A survey conducted by Bernama recently found that a group of Rohingya refugees were running a pirate taxi service in Selayang and Rawang, and this had apparently affected the income of legitimate taxi drivers.

According to a taxi driver, known only as Abdul Razak, the Rohingyas had started their operations about two months ago.

"They operate with used cars such as Honda Civic, Proton Iswara, Proton Wira and Proton Wira Aeroback, and target shopping centres, hospitals and residential areas in Selayang and Rawang," he said.

Razak said that the illegal taxis run by the Rohingyas had affected the income of registered taxi drivers.

"They have abused the refugee states given by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)," he said.

Meanwhile, taxi driver M. Thiru Moorthy, 39, said the presence of the private taxis run by the Rohingyas had affected his daily income, while some were even blatantly 'snatching' customers from legitimate drivers.

"At first, I was not aware of them... but I became suspicious when the same car would be at the taxi station with different passengers.

"They would even cut in while I am fetching passengers... and when I say something to them, they would scold me back," he said. – Bernama