JOHOR BARU: E-hailing drivers and delivery riders spend hours on the road every day, often working in the heat and rain to earn a living.
But traffic and weather conditions are not the only things that can make the job uncomfortable.
For Y. Subhan, 24, and Badrul Ali, 26, another challenge of the job is the sexual harassment, from unsolicited advances to suggestive remarks and even inappropriate touching.
Subhan said he was frequently exposed to sexual harassment in the course of his job.
Once, a male customer gave him a RM50 tip and asked him to drop by his house after work.
"He tried to offer me with more money if I allowed him to shave my beard.
"I smiled politely and told him that my girlfriend liked me because I was hairy."
Badrul said some male clients had made suggestive comments and touched him inappropriately.
"It's either you react to their advances or just smile and ignore them respectfully," he said, adding that he never felt threatened.
Neither Subhan nor Badrul have ever lodged reports against the customers with the service platform operators or the police.
They say they would rather avoid confrontation with their customers to get good ratings.
But other e-hailing drivers have come forward to make reports.
On April 3, an e-hailing driver lodged a police report against a customer for allegedly offering to perform oral sex on him.
The suspect was arrested under Section 377D of the Penal Code for gross indecency and was charged in court.
Malaysian eHailing Alliances chief activist Jose Rizal hoped more e-hailing drivers and customers would speak up when they face harassment.
"Recently, we received reports involving an e-hailing driver and a delivery rider who were harassed.
"Our advice to those who have been harassed is to lodge a police report and inform the platform operator."
Jose said he hoped the authorities would carry out more awareness campaigns to educate the public about sexual harassment.