Malaysia declares fashion war on taxi slobs

KUALA LUMPUR, Sep 3 (Reuters) Malaysia is cracking down on shabbily dressed taxi-drivers, fining them for not tucking in their shirts or for wearing shoes of the wrong colour.

Malaysia's lowly paid tax-drivers are supposed to wear white shirts, dark trousers and black shoes, but in reality passengers are happy if they can just persuade them to use the meter.

But the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board is out to make a fashion statement, the Star newspaper said today, quoting its chairman as saying drivers had to present a professional image.

Taxi-drivers have been fined 29 dollars-86 dollars -- or up to three days' average wages -- for wearing an off-white shirt or getting behind the wheel without socks, angering the drivers and reducing one of them to tears, the paper added.

''I actually saw a taxi-driver crying over having to pay a fine of 200 ringgit when I was at the (licensing board's) office recently,'' Abdul Jalil Maarof, president of the Klang Valley Taxi Owners Association, told the Star.

Reuters GL GC0908