Philippines, Malaysia put Uber-Grab deal under anti-competition scrutiny

Manila/Kuala Lumpur: The Philippines and Malaysia said on Monday they will look into whether Uber Technologies’ move to sell its Southeast Asian business to ride-hailing rival Grab hinders competition, days after Singapore began a probe into the deal on similar concerns. The expanded scrutiny of the deal in Southeast Asia could pose a major hurdle to the US firm’s attempt to improve profitability by exiting its loss-making regional operation. It also comes as Grab is set to face tougher competition from Indonesian rival Go-Jek.

“The Grab-Uber acquisition is likely to have a far-reaching impact on the riding public and the transportation services. As such, the PCC is looking at the deal closely,” the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) said in a statement.