HRP Letter to PM : EPF, Socso & Taxi Permits especially for Indian Taxi drivers who suffer most.

NO.6, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: 03-2282 5241 Fax: 03-2282 5245

Website: www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com Email:info@humanrightspartymalaysia.com

YAB. Dato Seri Najib Razak

Prime Minister of Malaysia,

Block Utama Bangunan Perdana Putra, Fax : 03-8888 3444

Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan, E-Mail : najib@pmo.gov.my

62502 Putrajaya.

YB Dato Seri Kong Cho Cha

Menteri Pengangkutan

Kementerian Pengangkutan Malaysia

Aras 7, Blok D 5, Kompleks D, Fax : 03-88891588

Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan E-Mail: menteri@mot.gov.my

62616 Putrajaya

Y.B Datuk Halimah Mohd Sadique

Ibu Pejabat (LPKP) Semenanjung Malaysia

Aras 4, Blok Podium

No. 18, Persiaran Perdana , Presint 2 Fax : 03-88805621

62652 Putrajaya

Dear Sirs,

Re : EPF, Socso & Taxi Permits especially for Indian Taxi drivers who suffer most.

We regret to note that especially Indian taxi drivers have to even beg to contribute to EPF and Socso & denied their own taxi permits for the taxis they drive. (see UM 22/8/2011 at page 27)

Thousands of Indian taxi drivers especially in Kuala Lumpur and nationwide are self employed and therefore are precluded from making EPF contributions as their old age savings and Socso contributions in the event of an accident or illness to take care of their welfare. Why is this so?

In their old age and minus their EPF savings they are going to be begging even for the RM 95.00 per month so welfare departments financial aid to live like refugees or end up in some cramped up old folks homes.

This is certainly not going to help towards a progressive nation building process, what more in what is supposed to be the One Malay-sian caring and civil society.

As taxi drivers are on the road for as long as up to twelve hours per day, they are prone to accidents. As most of them live from hand to mouth and struggling on a day to day basis they cannot afford to buy an Insurance policy. Being in the high risk category their monthly insurance premium policy is also on the high side. Therefore their being covered by Socso as the poor man’s Insurance policy is pertinent. For example in the event of an illness, disability or dialysis they would be covered by Socso.

To this effect we propose that the government allow their EPF and Socso contributions by forthwith being made members and given EPF and Socso contribution numbers and to be taken charge of by the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) and their monthly contributions acceptable at any post office.

Further all taxi drivers driving their own taxis should also forthwith be granted their own taxi permits because their RM 45.00 to RM 50.00 per day rentals they pay to the Capitalist Taxi Companies takes a daily toll on them. Why should these taxi companies be made to profit and benefit purely from the blood, sweat, tears and hard work of these poor taxi drivers. They are also under greater stress and tension and most do not even take their day off in a week because they have to make their daily rental payments whether they are working or not and this also even if they are ill. And they are under pressure to save for major repairs. We have received complaints of many Indian taxi drivers even falling victim to Ah Longs when their taxis go for major repairs or meet with an accident fall ill or other emergencies. Taxi drivers are more likely to become more responsible when the taxi permit is in their own name which they would not want to lose.

Foreigners should also be forthwith from driving taxis as this effects the local taxi drivers livelihood.

The Malay Taxi drivers have their Amanah Saham Nasional (ASN), Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB), Mara etc blue chip savings schemes. And in the event of an emergency they have their Lembaga Urus Zakat, Baitumal, Tabung Haji etc and their thousands of villages to go back to as their social safety net. And the Chinese generally have their cash rich Guilds and Associations and their 607 Chinese New Villages nationwide as their social safety net.

But the Indian taxi drivers would end up falling flat on their face in the event of an emergency and not having the social safety net that the malay muslims and Chinese taxi drivers have.

We therefore hereby request that all taxi drivers are forthwith granted the option to contribute to and to become members of EPF and Socso and all self driving taxi drivers are also granted their taxi permits and all taxi permits granted to the aforesaid taxi companies are forthwith revoked in the general public interest.

Kindly revert to us accordingly.

Thank you,

Yours faithfully,

………………………

P. Uthayakumar

Secretary General (pro tem)