Indonesian delivery driver Rizky Azhar was taken aback when he received a food order from Malaysia, both because of the distance and the accompanying note, which stated that the plate of smoked beef with rice was intended for him.
The order is part of a surge in cross-border food purchases for motorcycle taxi and delivery drivers in Indonesia, intended as a show of solidarity amid week-long protests over income inequality and generous perks for lawmakers.
The demonstrations gained momentum after delivery driver Affan Kurniawan was killed when a police vehicle ran him over in Jakarta, highlighting the low wages and precarious working conditions of ride-hailing drivers.
President Prabowo Subianto has stated that the police and military would respond firmly to the protests, which have occasionally turned violent following Affan’s death, resulting in ten fatalities.
Yet, images of students and workers on the streets have prompted a wave of solidarity, with people across Southeast Asia ordering meals for Indonesian delivery drivers and posting screenshots of their gestures on social media.
Over 1,100 kilometres (701.5 miles) from Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur resident Ayman Hareez Muhammad Adib placed an order via the ride-hailing and food delivery app Grab, which ended up with Rizky.
“The calls encourage everyone to contribute to what’s happening in Indonesia…to show support by sending food,” the 23-year-old said.
The orders are often accompanied by notes telling the drivers that they may keep the food or share it with their families.
Rizky said he was surprised that in recent days, foreign nationals had shown concern for them.
On a major street in Jakarta last week, hundreds of motorcycle drivers accompanied a vehicle carrying Affan’s body to the cemetery. Most of the drivers work for Grab and Gojek, operated by Indonesia’s largest tech company, GoTo.
Grab has reported an increase in orders from abroad for delivery within Indonesia over the past week, a spokesperson told Reuters, without specifying the exact volume or origin countries.
Tyas Widyastuti, Grab’s director of mobility and logistics, said the orders came primarily from Southeast and East Asia.
A GoTo spokesperson noted that the company’s ‘Treat Your Driver’ feature “has been welcomed by customers during this period as a gesture of solidarity with driver-partners,” without clarifying whether the orders were placed from abroad.
Motorcycle taxis are a common sight across Indonesia, including in Jakarta, known for some of the world’s worst traffic congestion.
In recent years, drivers have repeatedly protested against low pay, lack of employment security, and unfair practices by ride-hailing companies. GoTo and Grab have defended their business practices.
Saudi Arabia’s air defences have intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone over the Riyadh region, according to the Saudi-led coalition fight...
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday, as a curfew was set to take effect in the Republique and Chât...
A drone strike hit a power station in northern Sudan early Sunday (1 November), sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions, witnesses said....
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education and living costs. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
A tenth-grade student was critically injured after a man attacked her with a chainsaw inside a classroom in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district. The girl suffered severe injuries to her head, neck and back, while a classmate who tried to protect her was also hurt.
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday, as a curfew was set to take effect in the Republique and Châtelet-Les Halles areas from 11pm Saturday until 6am Sunday (1 November).
A drone strike hit a power station in northern Sudan early Sunday (1 November), sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions, witnesses said.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education and living costs. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's foreign intelligence agency, MI6, as a hostile group, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Thousands protested in Albania's capital, Tirana, on Saturday (31 October), demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation over perceived corruption allegations and dissatisfaction with the government over a lack of jobs and poor education standards.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment