By Teo Cheng Wee, Regional Correspondent

AT LEAST three times last week, editorial assistant J. Anna found herself haggling with taxi drivers in Kuala Lumpur.

It is nothing new for the German expatriate, who has been working in Kuala Lumpur for the last two years. The practice is common in a city where many cabbies can earn more by negotiating a higher fare than following the metered rate.

The sheer number of taxi drivers flouting the rules, usually without repercussions, means passengers often have little choice. Many places in the city are not easily accessible by other forms of public transport. But Ms Anna, 27, had hoped that things would change. The Malaysian government had announced last month that taxi fares would be revised upwards.

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