The Association for the Transformation of Malaysian Taxi Drivers (Persim) deputy chairman Kamarudin Mohd Hussain, who led the protest, said he had voiced his disappointment with Loke for not understanding “the real situation” faced by taxi drivers in the country.

He added that the ministry had not approached them for any discussions on the matter.

“They can meet up with GrabCar representatives to get their statistics, but he (Loke) never offered even a 10-minute discussion with taxi associations.”

Adding that such behaviour had been displayed by the previous government, he said it was not supposed to be the case any longer.

“We are the real industry players. Without us, the industry wouldn’t move.”

If the Pakatan Harapan government did not solve the matter, he said, many taxi drivers risked losing their jobs and would have to find other ways to earn a livelihood.

“We might also have to plan a second demonstration,” he added. “But we hope that this will be the last demonstration as we want this to be solved soon.”

The protest was attended by more than 200 taxi drivers, who carried placards protesting against GrabCar.

They have also sent a memorandum to the transport ministry.

Last Wednesday, Loke announced that all e-hailing services would be subject to the same regulations as taxis, including vehicle inspection and requirements for public service vehicle licences.

He said companies would be given a one-year grace period to comply with the regulations, which came into effect on Thursday.

But taxi drivers accused the government of practising double standards in allowing e-hailing operators a year to comply with the regulations.

Cabbies group backs protest against Loke when Parliament convenes