MCBA ready to assist RTD in tackling 'ulat teksi' menace at KLIA

SEPANG: The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA) has affirmed its readiness to collaborate with the Road Transport Department (RTD) in tackling illegal taxi, or “ulat teksi,” operations at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

The announcement follows a recent case in which a tourist was charged over RM800 for a ride from the airport to a hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

MCBA director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the agency was willing to assist RTD to protect travellers and uphold Malaysia’s reputation.

“If we receive relevant information, it is our responsibility to share it with RTD. Should they request our cooperation, we are happy to assist. Operating within the airport zone allows us to access details such as the number of departing passengers and their countries of origin,” he said at a press conference at KLIA Terminal 1 today.

Shuhaily said that while RTD was one of the core agencies under MCBA, its officers at KLIA were not administratively placed under MCBA, as the airport fell under the jurisdiction of air entry points.

“RTD officers are stationed directly under MCBA only at land entry points,” he added.

The issue came to light in September when RTD seized a vehicle and launched an investigation after a foreign tourist was reportedly overcharged by an illegal taxi operator at KLIA Terminal 2.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke had said then that the incident went viral on social media, involving a tourist who was initially quoted RM60 for a ride but was later forced to pay RM800 before being allowed to exit the vehicle.

The woman driver, in her 30s, was detained at around 1am on Sept 22 during an operation at KLIA Terminal 2. She had just arranged a fare with a passenger from the Philippines and was en route to Kuala Lumpur when intercepted by RTD personnel.

Investigations revealed that the driver usually charged RM83 to foreign passengers but would inflate the fare upon reaching the destination.

In the widely reported incident, she allegedly charged RM836 for the trip to a hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

She pleaded guilty to touting and offering an illegal taxi service from KLIA2 to the city centre and was fined RM5,000 by the magistrate’s court on Oct 7. Magistrate Khairatul Animah Jelani also ruled that K. Kalaivanie, 42, would serve three months in prison should she fail to pay the fine.

© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

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