Kings of the road: delivery riders can squeeze by if they put in the hours

 

Md Khairul Azmi dedicates every day of the week to fulfil fellow Malaysians’ delivery orders.

PETALING JAYA: The rider readjusts his mask and sunglasses in the sweltering afternoon heat just as his phone buzzes in his pocket to alert him to another delivery someone’s waiting for.

Md Khairul Azmi has been on the go since 8am, when he left his PPR flat in Pantai Dalam, Kuala Lumpur, to head to Kajang for his first delivery of the day.

The weather has been quite unpredictable lately, but rain or shine this 40-year-old rider can be found weaving through the traffic with all the flair of a much younger biker.

“It isn’t easy, but at least it means I can support my family,” he tells FMT.

As the sole breadwinner in his household, Khairul works for 12 hours every day of the week to put food on the table for his wife and four young daughters.

One of Khairul’s four daughters bidding him goodbye before the long work day ahead.

The life of a delivery rider is tiring and demanding, but Khairul doesn’t mind. He just focuses on getting the job done one day at a time.

“Before this, I worked in construction, but it wasn’t permanent. When the project finished, I was out of work for about three months,” he says.

“I was definitely worried about how I was going to support my family. I went for jobs but didn’t have any luck, so I thought the only choice I had left was to become a delivery rider since I already had a motorbike.”

It’s now two years since Khairul made that decision and he says he’s happy because he can earn up to RM1,000 a week so long as he stays healthy. If he falls sick, he has a problem as he will have to go days without earning anything.

The delivery rider prepares to leave his home early in the morning on his motorbike.

“It’s different, because I used to get a monthly salary but now, with delivery, if you want money you have to earn your daily wages,” he says. “Back then, I got weekends off, which I don’t anymore. We had to wait until the end of the month for my money. But now when there’s work, there’s money.”

The pandemic has thrown many lives and businesses into uncertainty, but he says despite lockdown restrictions and shortened business operating hours, his income hasn’t changed much over the last few months.

As a delivery rider he has joined the ranks of Malaysia’s frontliners as an essential service.

“When it was the first phase of the MCO, there were a lot of roadblocks,” he recalls. “The police would stop us and open our bags and check what we have inside, so that delayed some deliveries.”

But amidst all the challenges, Khairul says his experiences as a delivery rider during the earlier days of MCO lockdowns were unforgettable.

Khairul making his way through the busy halls of a market to deliver potatoes.

“People were actually depending on us to carry out this service and we were there to do it for them.”

He checks his phone, adjusts his helmet and starts his engine.

“For anyone currently unemployed, being a delivery rider shouldn’t be considered a job that won’t bring in any income,” he tells FMT.

“Every job has its own risks, and if we work hard, we’ll be able to see the results.” - FMT