Gojek, one of Indonesia’s unicorns, hits big in Indonesia. Following its success, Gojek plans to expand to the neighboring country, Malaysia. However, life gives the company lemons.
To date, this plan has received a myriad of reactions from Malaysians. Accordingly, some are supportive, while the others are oppositional.
On one hand, people think that Gojek is okay to hit the streets in Malaysia. To elaborate the statement, they think that it is the time for government to make a regulations pertaining to two-wheel transportation services.
On the other hand, people think that the government is being unjust to the local company, Dego Ride. In the past, Dego Ride was not able to operate due to government’s ban. People opine that the government should prioritize local companies first.
In response to the contradiction, some people argue that the government should make a regulation pertinent to this issue. Therefore, both Gojek and Dego Ride would be able to compete in the future.
Also Read: Malaysia Visits Indonesia to Foster Bilateral Relationships
However, this news became hotter due to a statement from the Founder and CEO of Big Blue Taxi, Shamsubahrin Ismail. “The poverty rate in Indonesia is too high, in contrast to the standard wages. Malaysia cannot be like that. Malaysian youths are not penniless. Why would we want to degrade them to become Gojek’s drivers?” he said.
Of course, his statement draws negative responses from Indonesians, especially Gojek drivers. Although Shamsubahrin already apologized, people still want to do protests in front of the Embassy of Malaysia in Jakarta.
Gojek’s Expansion
Speaking of Gojek’s expansion, Malaysia is not the first country. Prior to Malaysia, the company has been planning to reach the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
This plan is written on the company’s blog. Accordingly, the company has prepared funds to expand their services to international markets.
“Our aim is to partner with countries and their governments to bring benefit to everyone who uses our technology whether consumers looking for fast, competitive services, or drivers looking to secure additional income. Gojek has a positive impact on millions of people throughout Indonesia and we want more people to share in that benefit.” said CEO and Founder Nadiem Makarim.
Different from Malaysia, other target countries seemed to be less controversial. For example, Thailand positively received Gojek (GET) to operate in Bangkok.
Also Read: Gojek’s GoPay Dominates Indonesia’s E-Wallet
