Kuala Lumpur (15 August 2017) — “With language, you are at home anywhere” – Edmund De Waal.
These simple words couldn’t be more true. When you’re in a new place, sometimes having someone speak to you in a language you’re most at home with can be encouraging; especially after a long journey or following a day full of adventure.
Building on this insight, along with statistics from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia that show a significant increase in the number of inbound tourists from China, Uber Malaysia is launching “UberMANDARIN,” a special feature aimed at riders in Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu and Penang who want to be paired with a Mandarin-speaking UberX driver-partner. UberMANDARIN will be available from 16 August 2017 onwards.
“According to the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, there will be 3 million tourists from China this year, and this is expected to grow to 4 million next year, and subsequently 8 million in 2020. UberMANDARIN is our way of supporting the Government’s tourism efforts. Uber is available in over 70 countries around the world and we are the only truly international e-hailing app. By taking this little extra step, we hope that Mandarin-speaking visitors will enjoy our legendary Malaysian hospitality even more,” said Warren Tseng, General Manager for Malaysia and Singapore.
Here is how the feature works:
- To unlock the UberMANDARIN option, open up the Uber app and select the UberMANDARIN option next to uberX.
- Request a ride.
- Once your ride is accepted, you will be paired with a Mandarin-speaking driver-partner closest to you. Get on your ride and you’re good to go!
If there isn’t a Mandarin-speaking driver in the area—don’t worry, you can still request uberX and get a ride in these cities.
Tseng concluded, “Whether it is to enjoy the blue skies, beaches and the warm sea in Kota Kinabalu, or the food haven in Penang, or even the night lights and skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Mandarin-speaking visitors now have a new way to enjoy convenient and reliable rides at the touch of a button!”
For more information, please visit Uber’s Newsroom.
