GABUNGAN Teksi Semalaysia’s (GTSM) candidate for the Tg Piai by-election in Johor will be Big Blue Taxi Services founder Shamsubahrin Ismail.

In its announcement today, GTSM president Kamarudin Mohd Hussain said taxi drivers wanted a representative in the November 16 by-election to show their displeasure with Pakatan Harapan, which also runs the state.

He said the PH federal government had failed to care for taxi drivers. 

“As bad as Barisan Nasional was, at least it supported taxi drivers by giving vouchers for new tyres and other incentives.

“With PH, it looks like it doesn’t care about drivers of taxis, buses or lorries,” he told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

Kamarudin said GTSM – which counts at least 300 taxi organisations under it with a membership of up to 60,000 drivers nationwide – would have support in the by-election.

GTSM’s candidate Shamsubahrin, from Johor Baru, has several times taken on Putrajaya over taxi-related issues.

With GTSM’s candidate, the Tg Piai polls is now a five-cornered fight, ahead of official nominations tomorrow.

Other candidates are Bersatu Tg Piai division chief Karmaine Sardini, Gerakan deputy secretary-general Wendy Subramaniam, BN’s Wee Jeck Seng – who is also Tg Piai MCA division chief – and the seat’s two-term incumbent, and a candidate from Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia (Berjasa). – November 1, 2019.