He said the determination of wages was at the discretion of the companies involved.

“The decision rests with the service providers and riders. If riders feel another company offers better wages, they can switch,” he told reporters when asked about the government’s response to the lower delivery fees imposed by a service provider.

Last Friday, a group of about 300 Grab delivery riders staged a peaceful protest outside the tech giant’s headquarters, demanding the company resolve several issues.

Their main demand was for Grab to reinstate the previous base fare of RM5 for deliveries within the Klang Valley, which was reduced to RM4 earlier this week.

Fahmi said the government had a meeting with ride-hailing companies in August 2023 to find a middle ground.

“However, we understand that the gig economy is dynamic and constantly changing for these companies, and in that context, we follow a free market.

“If we see there are higher returns, that’s also an opportunity, but at the same time, we emphasise the social safety aspect of the workers,” he said.