The Malaysian government has launched the Teksi Madani Reform Programme today, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim officiating the event.
The initiative features the Proton S70 Premium variant as the programme’s chosen vehicle, which taxi drivers and operators can purchase. Participants are entitled to 100% excise duty and sales tax exemptions, alongside financing solutions that ensure ownership of these taxis remains directly with the driver. Furthermore, priority will be given to these taxis for vehicle inspections, and they can also be used for personal purposes.
This comes on top of a new allocation of a RM10 million matching grant, which was announced by the Prime Minister, who is also the Finance Minister. The scheme provides up to RM2,000 from Proton and up to RM2,000 from the government, yielding a total of up to RM4,000 in trade-in support for owners who scrap their old vehicles to purchase a new Proton.
The new allocation effectively duplicates the capacity of the initial grant that was announced during the tabling of Budget 2026, which was fully utilised to fund 5,000 vehicles within its first three months, according to Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
Unlike traditional taxis, the Proton S70 utilised for the programme forgoes the traditional taxi red and white theme for a uniform red paint job, which appears to be the factory Ruby Red colour.
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Other notable differences include the omission of the iconic roof-mounted taxi topper, which has been replaced by two small LED signs behind the front windscreen displaying either ‘Teksi’ or ‘E-hailing’.
A unique decal is installed on the C-pillar, and to differentiate these S70s from regular models, they run on a variation of the JPJ e-plate used on EVs, featuring the ‘GET’ series, which stands for ‘Gabungan E-hailing dan Teksi’.
However, the execution here features red-on-white fonts, whilst the section displaying the Malaysian flag is finished in grey instead of green. Inside, the trims are identical to those found in the Premium variant of the Proton S70, featuring a 3.5-inch monochrome semi-analogue gauge cluster, leatherette upholstery, and an eight-inch infotainment display. Boot space on the S70 is rated at 500 litres with the rear seats up.
However, the taxi gains a new display located below the dashboard’s row of physical controls to show the taxi fare, driver information, time, distance, and waiting time. Interestingly, this screen also serves as an advertisement platform to generate extra income for the driver, whilst supporting apps, media, Bluetooth and GPS.
Under the bonnet, the Proton S70 features a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 181 hp and 290 Nm of torque, which is sent to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT).
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