KUALA LUMPUR: He was a minister in charge of the nation’s economy, and had helmed some of Malaysia’s largest public-listed companies as well as having spearheaded successful turnarounds of conglomerates.
And now, he's trying his hand at Uber.
Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar, former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, has been ferrying passengers for ride-share service Uber in his first public appearance since his term as senator ended.
Wahid had apparently signed up to become an Uber driver to “try to feel the pulse of the public" before performing his umrah.
So far, he has ferried eight passengers to their respective destinations.
The former minister’s venture into ride-sharing did not come without hurdles, though. Uber imposes a strict policy where the car used for the service could not be older than eight years old.
His personal car was 10 years old.
However, when Proton, upon launching their new fourth generation Perdana, was on the lookout for someone to promote their new model, the stars seemed to align perfectly.
It was a match made in heaven. Using a loaned brand new Perdana, Wahid took to the streets of Putrajaya.
If passenger ratings were any indication, Wahid must be a natural when it comes to giving his all in any job he does.
One of his passenger, Firdaus Fadzil, who posted his ride-share experience on Facebook, gave Wahid a five star rating.
Firdaus also posted a selfie of him and a smiling Wahid behind the wheels.
Wahid’s term as a senator ended earlier in June. He was appointed as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of Economic Planning in 2013.
Prior to that, he was president and CEO of Maybank.