The DACSEE platform, a new entrant in Malaysia’s ride-hailing scene, is finally out to make a mark. While it did officially launch in January 2018, it’s been pretty quiet since that one big splash. This, in part, is all thanks to the shake-up from the Grab takeover of Uber SEA.

Before going into the new updates that DACSEE revealed to the media earlier this week, let’s do a quick recap. From the very top: what is DACSEE and how does it stand-out?

This the very first point the new ride-hailing platform addressed during its January launch. First, DACSEE is not a name, eventhough it is a wordplay of the work taxi. It is an acronym that stands for ‘Decentralised Alternative Cabs Serving & Empowering Everyone’. This concept, which came to be from the minds of a few local folks and their foreign partners, is community driven.

As per its name, the operational model runs on a ‘by the community, for the community’ motto. The premise is simple: create a platform that enables the community – likely drivers – to build, manage, and empower their own network of ride-hailing service providers.

In short, it cuts away the middle-man. How does the platform make revenue then? Like Uber and Grab, there is an arbitrary 20% cut from drivers’ earnings. Where does the stand-out element come in? Unlike the market leaders, DACSEE will share its 20% cut with drivers if they start referring other drivers and/or passengers to the platform. At press time, it’s been confirmed that 80% of the cut that DACSEE takes is re-contributed back into the system.

More important is how Dacsee wants to expand its community system. This feature, according to Lim Chiew Shan, CEO of DACSEE, as per the description that this next-gen ride-hailing service shared, is like a social network with ride-hailing functions.

There are no limits to the group type – be it compact cars, premium, geo-location dependents, female only, or school shuttle services. Groups can be public or private, depending on the needs of the administrator. Apart from groups, drivers and riders can add each other onto their own respective friends’ network on DACSEE.

Shan and his team believes DACSEE can go far as they’re confident that this operation will take-off. Right now, it is still on-boarding new drivers and offers limited ride-hailing routes.