Grab Halts Mandarin Driver Option After Backlash

Grab Malaysia has paused a new feature that allowed riders to book Mandarin-speaking drivers, following online criticism that it was racially biased.

The option, introduced as a test for GrabCar, was meant to help Chinese tourists who may not speak Malay or English.

The company says data shows 1.4 million visitors from China arrived between January and April this year, and the feature, which carried a slightly higher fare was optional, with passengers still able to book the standard GrabCar service.

But it quickly sparked debate when public transport activist Nathan Mathivanan tested it twice and claimed both times he was assigned a Chinese driver.

“This is Malaysia. If you don’t know Bahasa, change the app to English. If you don’t know English, there’s an automatic translation plug-in,” he said in a TikTok video that went viral.

The comments divided netizens. Some agreed with Nathan, while others defended the move as practical.
One user wrote, “Chinese tourists who can’t speak Malay or English need a way to communicate with drivers. This helps both sides.”
Another pointed out that Mandarin speakers aren’t always Chinese, and language skill doesn’t necessarily match race. Grab later explained the feature was part of a wider experiment to explore language-based ride options, with plans to expand to other languages depending on tourism trends and driver surveys.

“Any future rollout will be inclusive, open to all qualified drivers regardless of background,” the firm stated.

The Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) has since reminded all e-hailing companies that booking systems must treat every driver fairly. Any breach, it warned, could result in fines of up to RM200,000 or two years in jail.