Cabbies get private permits and cheaper Exora

PUTRAJAYA: Taxi drivers who receive new individual permits can look forward to having their own vehicles under a special rebate scheme by the Government for a new purpose-built Proton Exora.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said this was part of the Government's move to make good on its promise to issue 1,000 individual licences to taxi drivers, besides encouraging the development of a more efficient public transportation system.

“For every taxi driver given an individual licence, I think we should make it compulsory for them to buy an Exora through Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia, which will give a RM5,000 grant for each new taxi.

“This means the price for a new Exora will go down from RM64,000 to RM59,000,” he said to cheers from some 6,000 taxi drivers present at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre to witness the presentation of the first batch of 200 individual licences to new driver-owners.

Najib said the scheme would not only include a new car that is factory outfitted with an NGV tank, but also comprehensive insurance coverage to provide taxi drivers with better protection.

Najib: 1,000 taxi permit recipients to get RM5,000 grant to buy Proton Exora

PUTRAJAYA: Some 1,000 recipients of individual taxi permits will receive a RM5,000 grant to buy the Proton Exora MPV, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today.


He said all taxi drivers who received the individual permits were obliged to buy that vehicle for use as the taxi.

"This is another commitment of the government to ensure that taxi drivers can use a suitable vehicle for the convenience and comfort of passengers," he said at the distribution of individual taxi permits at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC), here.

At the event, the prime minister handed over individual taxi permits to 200 recipients. The rest of the permits would be given away by the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD).

Also present at the event were Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, who is the patron of the Pertubuhan Teksi Malaysia, and SPAD chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar.

Government introduces new funding under SPP1M scheme for tertiary level students

PUTRAJAYA: A special loan scheme for tertiary level students, offering funding of between RM100,000 and RM150,000 with an interest rate of BLR-1%, has been introduced.

The Skim Prihatin Pendidikan 1Malaysia (SPP1M) works as a top-up funding and is for students at local and overseas universities.

It is also open to those receiving the PTPTN loan, on government or private scholarships and self-financed students.

For a start, Maybank and RHB Bank have agreed to offer the facility with an initial allocation of RM1bil.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said that more banks were expected to join in and the scheme would ultimately have RM5bil to offer.