The Penang police are currently on the lookout for a Penang-based Uber driver who allegedly robbed an Indonesian factory operator of RM2,000 in cash and valuables.
Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) shared a notice on their Facebook page which states that the incident happened at 5:30pm last Saturday (27th August 2016) in Bayan Lepas.
In the notice, posted on 31st August 2016, the police explained that the victim, Yab Melva Novasia Sinaga, had called for an Uber for a ride home. However, upon reaching a dead end, the male Uber driver forcibly took RM1,150 (RM100 for the fare, RM250 for scolding him, and RM800), two million Rupiahs (RM613), a necklace, and a handphone from her.
The case is currently under investigation.
Meanwhile, Uber Malaysia has released an official statement regarding the above case, pledging their assistance with the police’s investigation. “The safety of our riders and drivers is a priority for Uber. We have a zero tolerance policy for this type of behaviour and strictly prohibit violence of any kind by a driver or rider on the Uber platform. Our standard procedure upon learning about incidences like these is to immediately suspend the driver from the platform pending the outcome of the police investigation. We stand ready to assist local authorities with their investigation,” Uber said.
Ride-sharing app Uber officially made their first entry into the Malaysian market when they launched in Kuala Lumpur back in January 2014. Slightly more than a year later, Uber launched their service in Penang. The ride-sharing app is also currently available in Johor Bahru, Ipoh, and Kota Kinabalu.
Sources: PDRM, The Rakyat Post, Uber Malaysia.
