The prime minister yesterday said RM34 million was disbursed to 1.4 million e-hailing drivers, with each receiving a one-off cash allowance of RM500, and RM28.8 million to 477,000 taxi drivers, tour guides and bus drivers, who each received RM600.
He also said Putrajaya had distributed RM7.4 billion in wage subsidies to 834,000 employers, to be channelled to 6.7 million employees nationwide.
In its statement, the PMO said that 68,336 e-hailing drivers had received RM500 each in allowance, totalling RM34 million, while 37,127 taxi, bus drivers and tour guides had received RM600, totalling RM22.2 million.
Meanwhile, the wage subsidy programme worth RM7.4 billion benefited 313,000 employers and 2.5 million workers across the country.
In the Dewan Rakyat, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said inaccurate figures had been given by the prime minister.
He said bus, taxi and e-hailing drivers would receive RM110 million.
Of this, RM22.2 million in cash initiatives will be given to 37,127 drivers, each of whom will receive RM600.
“The RM500 one-off cash is for e-hailing (drivers), with taxi drivers, tourist guides and bus drivers to receive RM600,” he said during ministerial question time today.
The one-off payment for e-hailing drivers will amount to RM34 million for 68,336 recipients while another 4,800 taxi drivers will receive their payments once they renew their driving cards.
Tengku Zafrul was responding to Saifuddin Nasution (PH-Bandar Baru Kulim) who had asked an additional question on the figures announced by Muhyiddin.
Loke Siew Fook (PH-Seremban) meanwhile said there were only about 120,000 e-hailing drivers registered with the Land Public Transport Agency, not 1.4 million as said by Muhyiddin.
If 1.4 million drivers were paid RM500 each, he said, the necessary amount would have been RM700 million, not RM34 million.
Likewise, he said, if 477,000 taxi and bus drivers were paid RM600 each, it would have required RM286.2 million, not RM28.8 million.
“If only RM28.8 million was disbursed for the payment of RM600 to each person, the number of recipients would be 48,000, not 477,000.
“That is a difference of 10 times,” he added.
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