DASAR EKONOMI TERBARU - GIG ECONOMY, KHUSUS UNTUK MELAYU

 

KL Dec 17 — gig economy displayed healthy growth in 2023
3Q 2023 the market size stood at RM1.33 billion 
which is 80% of market size for 2022 (RM1.63 billion)
over 366,222 individuals in the gig economy platforms 3Q 2023 
compared with 266,222 individuals in 2022.
growth indicates continuous market demand 

(OSTB : Ya lah brader that is your simple, high school analysis. 
After Monday is Tuesday. After that it is Wednesday. 
In Islam today must be better than yesterday. 
Then tomorrow must be better than today. 
Simple things like that. So clever genius.

 

Here is the real situation. 
These young boys did not get a good education (including the degree holders)  
They were not taught the value of hard work, 
Or of being able to speak English. 
They are not being taught good work ethics like holding a permanent 9-5 job, 
Being able to learn new job skills. 
They are not being taught the importance of trust (boleh percaya kau tak?) 
The importance of being dependable like showing up for work everyday. 
You know basic things like that.

 

They prefer scooting around on a motorbike. 
No fixed schedules, you "work" as you feel like it. 
If you dont feel like working just relax. 

Of the 366,000 gig workers the largest bulk of them are in the Klang Valley, maybe 90% of them?)

Ongoing debate on gig workers’ welfare
lack of social protections, fair wages, upskilling, reskilling opportunities  
no clear definition, particularly on gig working and employment status 
gig workers face fluctuating demand and supply of work 
competition from other gig workers 

(OSTB :  Otherwise known as a "dead end job". Also known as a job with no future. Yet we have 366,000 of these dead-enders who are losing the prime of their youth NOT LEARNING ANYTHING NEW. 

So that wonderful, magical thing called the price mechanism then kicks in. There are so many of  these boys who are underskilled and under educated, there are 366,000 of them now, they are forced to throw themselves into the "market" which is brutally honest and does not stop for anyone on crutches or with limited education or English abilities. Instead of giving these underachievers permanent jobs the market prefers to hire them on a gig basis.  There is no need to create office space for them, no need to even give them access to a toilet, no need for EPF contributions. 

And they have to "compete". What is the real meaning of this statement  "And they have to "compete"? It means they have to price themselves at a level which the market can afford to hire their services.

Now we come to the high school economics level of thinking : supply versus demand. 

There are so many of them - over 366,000 of them - that they are now affordable for even Minimum Wage workers to use gig workers to buy lunch. 

Even Minimum Wage kids call the food delivery boy all the time. It is cheaper if more than one Minimum Wage person orders more food and they share the food and the delivery charges. 

Late dinners or rainy days are not an issue. Just order online and through food delivery. The amount you have to pay for the food delivery is much less than driving four people across town, paying for gas and maybe parking etc. Plus you can eat restaurant food in the comfort of your home.

So that is where the gig economy has to price itself - low enough to compete with 366,000 other gig economy jihadists and low enough to be affordable even for Minimum Wage workers.

This system can only work when the education system has failed, when English skills are non existent in the economy, when the young are taught zero about hard work, about good work ethics, where "penatlah, malas nak memikir" are valid and acceptable answers. The other valid answer is "saya tak tahu".

gig workers experience social isolation and lack of support 
gig workers face higher stress and anxiety levels 
pressure of meeting deadlines 

 

OSTB : Meeting deadline kepala hotak apa? 
You must deliver the food in 20 minutes. 
Or you must send the parcel across town. 
How much pressure is there in doing that? 
This is exactly the "penatlah, malas nak memikir" syndrome.

constant changes in work roles make it difficult to communicate who they are and what they can do — Bernama

OSTB : Huh? Sounds like a serious identity crisis. They may need psychological counselling. Maybe gig-psychiatrists on motorbikes can chase them around as they zip across town? Giving them advice when they stop at the traffic lights?

There is a phrase in Tamil that captures this situation perfectly. It is called 'm--yiru pudungge'. You have to ask a Tamil fellow to explain what it means.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.