PARLIAMENT The government rejected the request to close down mobile ride-sharing applications Uber and Grabcar because it is not sure if the applications are breaking laws, said Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Jailani Johari.

"The ministry is encouraging any development of applications using broadband and internet as this is for public convenience, just like Google and Waze," he told the Dewan Rakyat.

"The ministry and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will not close any apps or websites which have not or we are not sure have broken any laws," he said when winding up Budget 2016 at the committee stage.

This is because matters relating to taxi services fall under the jurisdiction of the Land Public Transport Commission (Spad), Jailani said.

"We cannot act arbitrarily in closing the apps," he said.

"This should not involve MCMC. And until Spad calls on (MCMC) or wishes to talk to the ministry or asks for help to delist (the apps), we will not step in," he said.

"I give my commitment that if MCMC is needed to give its view, we will offer ours," he said.

The Hulu Terengganu parliamentarian was responding to both Anuar Abdul Manap (BN-Sekijang) and Mahfuz Omar (PAS-Pokok Sena) who voiced concern over the livelihood of taxi drivers under threat by Uber and Grabcar.

Mahfuz claimed that both the Uber and GrabCar services have slashed the taxi drivers' income by half.

He also said Uber services may threaten a family relationship, especially when a wife finds out her husbands sat next to a beautiful Uber driver through a picture of the duo that goes viral on the Internet.

Uber drivers always have their passengers to sit in the front to prevent any untoward incident, said the PAS lawmaker .

"Thus, the wife will not open the door when her husband goes home," said Mahfuz.

Conduct a laboratory

Coincidentally, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nancy Shukri pushed the responsibility back to MCMC.

"Spad's responsibility is to issue taxi permits; mobile apps (are) not under its control or jurisdiction," she said during a question-and-answer session.

She said, however, the government will conduct a laboratory on Dec 3 on the matter.

"We cannot ban the apps usage directly as this falls under the prerogative of another ministry. This is the reason we will have a laboratory," she said.