Meeting with Uber on several demands.
- Compensation and payment of medical scan
- Uber’s assurance that incident will not be repeated
- Demand that Uber reveal its method of driver vetting
Sales assistant Wong Mei Yan, who was allegedly robbed by a Uber driver and his accomplice and later suffered a miscarriage of her six-week pregnancy, had announced plans to sue Uber last Saturday.
Today, in a press conference organised by Selangor Gerakan liaison committee chairman Datuk Ang Chin Tat, she wants Uber to compensate her for dropping the planned suit. She reportedly made the offer during a two-hour meeting with Uber today which the ride-hailing company said was “fruitful”.
“Uber came to us and wanted to know the victim’s condition, and how they can assist. So what we proposed was for settlement purpose, with an amount that has been made known to them,” Ang said.
“We have given them two weeks to get back to us. If they agree with the ex-gratia payment, we will not pursue legal action, as had been planned initially.”
Besides the compensation, Wong is asking Uber to pay for a complete medical scan scheduled for Thursday, after experiencing stomach cramps and fluid discharge.
Wong’s husband, Tiong Ting Siong said, “I am very worried about her. After losing our child, she is very weak and still bleeding.”
Wong, 26, kept her head lowered throughout the press conference.
In the meeting with Uber, Ang said Wong was represented by him, party legal advisers Andy Yong and Chai Ko Thing, and Tiong. Uber was represented by Leigh Wong from its communications department, marketing department head Geraldine Wong and two legal advisers.
Ang also demanded that Uber give the public its assurance that the incident was an isolated one and will not be repeated, as well as reveal the company’s method of vetting drivers before accepting them.
“The bills pertaining to e-hailing services will only be debated in the July sitting, which is a long time away. Which is why we want them to give an assurance that it will not happen again.
“Are we going to wait for something like this to happen again before taking action?” he said.
Meanwhile, the robbery suspect had his remand order extended today by another seven days until Jun 7 by the Petaling Jaya magistrate’s court.
Apparently, according to lawyers, Wong would have difficulty winning a lawsuit against Uber due to its exclusion clause and position that its drivers were not direct employees.
