Malaysian passenger triggered as driver claims Grab is 'Singapore product'
A Malaysian woman shared her indignation on Threads as she recounted a conversation with a Grab driver in Singapore who called the ride-hailing app a "Singapore product" - even though the company actually started in Malaysia.
User @sarinizainal's Jan 12 post has since racked up over 2,000 likes and more than 170 comments.
Driver claims Grab is 'Singapore product'
Sarinizainal began by saying that the driver had noticed she seemed familiar with navigating the Grab app, particularly as she selected a car with a booster seat, which is compulsory for families travelling with children in Singapore.
The driver then asked if Grab was available in Malaysia, to which she replied that it is. He then "proudly" added: "It's a Singapore product, you know. Power, right?"
Despite knowing that the company was originally founded in Malaysia, Sarinizainal simply smiled and said: "Yes uncle ... Very good."
She concluded the post with a remark: "We missed a golden opportunity, didn't we?"
'Uncle maybe boomer'
Several Threads post users pointed out that Grab's co-founders are from Malaysia and that the app was first launched there.
One suggested that the driver might be a "boomer" who is "very proud" of his country, while another commented that he was "embarrassing Singaporeans".
Others noted that many Malaysian startups eventually seek growth opportunities overseas due to challenges with funding and support.
Grab originally launched as MyTeksi in Malaysia
Grab began with an idea for an application-based taxi reservation service, developed for a Harvard Business School venture competition in 2011.
According to NLB, Malaysians Anthony Tan and Tan Hooi Ling won a prize of US$25,000, which they used to launch GrabTaxi and MyTeksi in Malaysia the following year.
In 2013, the service expanded into Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines, followed by Indonesia in 2014. After GrabTaxi attained unicorn status in 2015, the founders moved its headquarters to Singapore and rebranded the company as Grab in 2016.
Grab now operates in over 400 cities across eight countries, and has expanded beyond ride-hailing to include food and grocery deliveries, online shopping, and mobile payments.
Singapore's Temasek holds a stake in Grab, while Mr Tan became a Singapore citizen in 2016.
