KOTA KINABALU: The taxi driver who rammed into several vehicles at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport recently has passed away.

       Ng Chin Seng, 65, was believed to have died after a long battle with kidney failure and other health issues on Monday (Aug 9).

       KKIA Limousine and Taxi Association president Shamsuddin Mohd Shah said he was told of Ng’s passing by other taxi drivers.

       “Ng has had a rough life, he was under so much mental stress, he had health issues, and was undergoing dialysis. We tried our best to help in any way we could,” he said.

       He said Ng had no permanent home, was estranged from his family and slept in community halls as well as in his car.

       Shamsuddin said some members of the association would go to the funeral parlour to pay their last respects to Ng before his cremation on Thursday (Aug 12).

       Asked about the July 19 incident where Ng rammed into several taxis and damaged their vehicles due to some misunderstanding, he said the victims whose vehicles were affected did not take any action against Ng or claim damages from him.

       “We all know of his problems. We are all affected by the pandemic, there is no business and all of us are struggling in many ways, so they decided to just let the matter be,” he said.

       Shamsuddin urged the government to look into the hardships of taxi drivers who have lost a huge portion of their income following the Covid-19 pandemic which has been going on for over a year.

       "It has been a difficult year for many, and the situation is not getting better for us airport taxi drivers,” he said.