Policies Improving the Well-Being of Gig Workers in Malaysia
Keywords:
Policy, gig worker, gig economy, working environment, sustainable well-being
Abstract
Very scarce research has assessed the extent of adverse effects on the well-being of gig workers, particularly in Malaysia. So, the study aims to examine the policies favoring the well-being of gig workers using qualitative methodology of secondary materials examination and semi-structured interviews with policymakers. One of the key findings is that the Malaysian government is very supportive in welcoming the new era of flexibility and freedom of work, such as gig workers. This is particularly relevant to the gig economy, which is characterized by a high degree of uncertainty and variability. The emergent issues significantly call for government and policymakers to design the right policies to enhance gig workers' welfare.
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References
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Caza, A. (2020). The gig economy’s implications for management education. Journal of Management Education, 44(5), 594-604.
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De Stefano, V. (2018). The rise of the "just-in-time workforce": On-demand work, crowdwork, and labor protection in the "gig-economy". Comparative Labor Law & Policy Journal, 37(3), 471-504.
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Duggan, J., Sherman, U., Carbery, R., & McDonnell, A. (2020). Algorithmic management and app?work in the gig economy: A research agenda for employment relations and HRM. Human Resource Management Journal, 30(1), 114-132.
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Gramano, E. (2020). Digitalization and work: challenges from the platform-economy. Contemporary Social Science, 15(4), 476-488.
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Huws, U., Spencer, N., Syrdal, D. S., & Holts, K. (2017). Work in the European gig economy: Research results from the UK, Sweden, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Italy. FEPS – Foundation for European Progressive Studies.
International Transport Forum. (2019). The impact of ride-hailing in Southeast Asia. doi: 10.1787/9276f796-en
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Kalleberg, A. L. (2018). Precarious work, insecure workers: Employment relations in transition. American Sociological Review, 83(2), 223-250. doi: 10.1177/0003122418763561
Kassim, M. A., Damio, S. M., & Omar, A. R. (2020). Embedding gig economy in Malaysia higher education: The case of Universiti Teknologi Mara. Asian Journal of University
Kuhn, K. M., & Galloway, T. L. (2019). Expanding perspectives on gig work and gig workers. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 34(4), 186-191.
Malaysiakini. (2022, August 11). K'jaan hanya mahu bela penunggang p-hailing, kata Wee. Malaysiakini. Retrieved from https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/631766.
Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC, 2024). Belanjawan 2024: Digital Economy Snapshot. Retrieved from blob: https://mdec.my/b10de80f-372b-4bf6-965f-560b90e8c757.
Merriam SB (2009) Qualitative research: a guide to design and implementation, 3rd ed. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco
Merriam SB, Tisdell EJ (2016) Qualitative research: a guide to design and implementation, 4th ed. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco
Ministry of Economy. (2023). Functions. Official Portal of Ministry of Economy. https://www.epu.gov.my/en/department-profile/profile/functions
Ministry of Finance. (2023). Policy. Official Portal of Ministry of Finance Malaysia. https://www.mof.gov.my/portal/en/profile/policy
Ministry of Transportation. (2021). Kenyataan Media MOT, MIROS Dengan Kerjasama JPJ, Pengendali Perkhidmatan Dan Penghantar Bergabung Tenaga Untuk Keselamatan Penunggang P-Hailing Di Malaysia.
Ministry of Transportation. (2022). Malaysia Road Safety Plan 2022-2030. Retrieved from https://www.mot.gov.my/en/Pages/Land/Safety%20and%20Security/MRSP%202022-2030%20(1022).pdf.
NST Business. (2023, February 24). Budget 2023: EPF pleased its concerns are addressed in the 2023 Budget, says CEO. New Straits Times. Retrieved from https://www.nst.com.my/business/2023 /02/883298/budget-2023-epf-pleased-its-concerns-are-addressed-2023-budget-says-ceo.
Olsen, T. (2019). The Development of a National Crowdsourcing Strategy for Economic Growth in Malaysia. The 13th Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems (MCIS).
Radzi, M. S. N. M., Bidin, A., Musa, M. K., & Hamid, N. ‘A. (2022). Protecting gig workers' interests in Malaysia through registered association under the societies act 1966. IIUM Law Journal, 30(S1), 157–179. https://doi.org/10.31436/iiumlj.v30is1.702
Rahim, A. F. A., Yaacob, N. A., Noor, R. M., Najid, N. A., & Zulkifli, N. (2021). Strengthening the Gig Economy: Future of Digital Labor Workforce Platform Post-Covid-19. GADING (Online) Journal for Social Sciences, 24(4).
Razak, F. A., & Sulaiman, M. (2020). Halal assurance in on-demand food delivery service: A conceptual study. Journal of Halal Industry & Services, 3(1), 20-30. doi: 10.2478/johis-2020-0003
Schmidt, G. B., Philip, J., Van Dellen, S. A., & Islam, S. (2022). Gig worker organizing: toward an adapted Attraction-Selection-Attrition framework. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 38(1), 47-59.
TERAJU. (2022). Peluang pekerjaan dalam perkhidmatan p-hailing (penghantar makanan) di kalangan bumiputera semasa pandemik covid-19. Retrieved from https://www.teraju.gov.my/documents/r4.pdf.
The Star. (2022, October 8). Socso CEO hails move to include gig workers too. The Star. Retrieved from https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/10/08/socso-ceo-hails-move-to-include-gig-workers-too.
Uchiyama, Y., Furuoka, F. and Md. Akhir, M.N. (2022). Gig workers, social protection and labor market inequality: Lessons from Malaysia. Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia, 56(3), 165-184.
Wood, A. J., Graham, M., Lehdonvirta, V., & Hjorth, I. (2019). Good gig, bad gig: autonomy and algorithmic control in the global gig economy. Work, employment and society, 33(1), 56-75.
Yusof, N. H. M., Omar, N. A., & Hamid, N. A. (2019). Halal logistics in food delivery service: The case of Malaysia. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 10(4), 1186-1204. doi: 10.1108/JIMA-03-2018-0050
Agensi Pengangkutan Awam Darat. (2021). Teksi Dan e-hailing. Portal Rasmi Agensi Pengangkutan Awam Darat (APAD). Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://www.apad.gov.my/perkhidmatan-apad1/pengenalan-teksi1
Aguinis, H., & Lawal, S. O. (2013). eLancing: A review and research agenda for bridging the science–practice gap. Human resource management review, 23(1), 6-17.
Aziz, M. A. (2023, February 24). Kwsp perinci inisiatif tambah caruman Akaun 1. Berita Harian. Retrieved from https://www.bharian.com.my/bisnes/lain-lain/2023/02/1068859/kwsp-perinci-inisiatif-tambah-caruman-akaun-1.
Bergström, J. (2018). Gig work and occupational health and safety: The need for a multidisciplinary research agenda. Safety and Health at Work, 9(2), 125-129. doi: 10.1016/j.shaw.2017.10.006
Berita Harian. (2022, January 25). Subsidi 80 peratus untuk pekerja sendiri. Berita Harian. Retrieved from https://www.bharian.com.my/berita/nasional/2022/01/915500/subsidi-80-peratus-untuk-pekerja-sendiri.
Burgard, S. A. (2019). The rise of the gig economy and implications for worker safety and health. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 62(10), 801-807. doi: 10.1002/ajim.23053
Caza, A. (2020). The gig economy’s implications for management education. Journal of Management Education, 44(5), 594-604.
Creswell JW (2007) Qualitative inquiry and research design: choosing among five traditions, 2nd ed. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks
De Stefano, V. (2018). The rise of the "just-in-time workforce": On-demand work, crowdwork, and labor protection in the "gig-economy". Comparative Labor Law & Policy Journal, 37(3), 471-504.
Department of Occupational Safety & Health. (2021). Pelan Induk Keselamatan & Kesihatan Pekerjaan 2021-2025. Retrieved from https://www.dosh.gov.my/index.php/publication-ul/oshmp2025/4066-pelan-induk-kkp-2021-2025-oshmp25/file.
Department of Statistics Malaysia. (2021). Pelan Strategik DOSM Malaysia 2021-2025. Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Portal. https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/uploads/files/4_Portal%20Content /1_About%20us/6_Strategic_Plan/Ringkasan_Pelan_Strategik_DOSM_2021-2025.pdf
Duggan, J., Sherman, U., Carbery, R., & McDonnell, A. (2020). Algorithmic management and app?work in the gig economy: A research agenda for employment relations and HRM. Human Resource Management Journal, 30(1), 114-132.
Economic Planning Unit. (2021). Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint. Prime Minister's Department, Malaysia.
Employee Provident Fund. (2020). KWSP - EPF welcomes the government’s efforts to protect self-employed ... Laman Web Rasmi Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://www.kwsp.gov.my/en/web/guest/w/epf-welcomes-government-s-efforts-to-protect-self-employed-workers-future-retirement
Fraiberger, S. P., Sundararajan, A., & Stephany, A. (2019). Peer-to-peer recognition in the sharing economy. Nature Communications, 10(1), 1-9. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-12514-x
Ghazali, A. J., & Muhammad, N. M. N. (2021). An Overview of Gigs Economy in Malaysia. FKP Postgraduate Research Colloquium 2021.
Gramano, E. (2020). Digitalization and work: challenges from the platform-economy. Contemporary Social Science, 15(4), 476-488.
Harian Metro. (2022, September 28). Bajet 2023: Rancakkan lagi sektor ekonomi gig. Harian Metro. Retrieved from https://www.hmetro.com.my/mutakhir/2022/09/886421/bajet-2023-rancakkan-lagi-sektor-ekonomi-gig.
Harun, N., Ali, N. M., & Khan, N. L. M. A. (2020). An experimental measure of Malaysia’s gig workers using labor force survey. Statistical Journal of the IAOS, 36(4), 969–977. https://doi.org/10.3233/SJI-200749
https://www.mot.gov.my/en/Announcement/KENYATAAN%20MEDIA%20MOT%20PADA%209%20APRIL%202021%20-%20KEMPEN%20P-HAILING%20.pdf, July 9, 2021.
Huang, N., Burtch, G., Hong, Y., & Pavlou, P. A. (2020b). Unemployment and worker participation in the gig economy: Evidence from an online labor market. Information Systems Research, 31(2), 431–448. https://doi.org/10.1287/ISRE.2019.0896
Human Resources Development Fund. (2019). HRDF Human Capital Report. HRD Corp. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://hrdcorp.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/02.-issue_Jan02_2019-Human-Capital-Report-Gig-Economy-and-Training.pdf
Huws, U., Spencer, N., Syrdal, D. S., & Holts, K. (2017). Work in the European gig economy: Research results from the UK, Sweden, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Italy. FEPS – Foundation for European Progressive Studies.
International Transport Forum. (2019). The impact of ride-hailing in Southeast Asia. doi: 10.1787/9276f796-en
Jabatan Audit Negara. (2023). Laporan Ketua Audit Negara 2021: Pengauditan Pematuhan Kementerian dan Jabatan Persekutuan (pp. 81–98). Putrajaya, Putrajaya: Jabatan Audit Negara.
Jemon, S., Saiman, M. S., Bebit, M. P., & Hindia, M. A. (2021). A knight without shining armor: The paradox of being a gig worker in Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(11). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v11-i11/11175
Kalleberg, A. L. (2018). Precarious work, insecure workers: Employment relations in transition. American Sociological Review, 83(2), 223-250. doi: 10.1177/0003122418763561
Kassim, M. A., Damio, S. M., & Omar, A. R. (2020). Embedding gig economy in Malaysia higher education: The case of Universiti Teknologi Mara. Asian Journal of University
Kuhn, K. M., & Galloway, T. L. (2019). Expanding perspectives on gig work and gig workers. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 34(4), 186-191.
Malaysiakini. (2022, August 11). K'jaan hanya mahu bela penunggang p-hailing, kata Wee. Malaysiakini. Retrieved from https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/631766.
Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC, 2024). Belanjawan 2024: Digital Economy Snapshot. Retrieved from blob: https://mdec.my/b10de80f-372b-4bf6-965f-560b90e8c757.
Merriam SB (2009) Qualitative research: a guide to design and implementation, 3rd ed. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco
Merriam SB, Tisdell EJ (2016) Qualitative research: a guide to design and implementation, 4th ed. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco
Ministry of Economy. (2023). Functions. Official Portal of Ministry of Economy. https://www.epu.gov.my/en/department-profile/profile/functions
Ministry of Finance. (2023). Policy. Official Portal of Ministry of Finance Malaysia. https://www.mof.gov.my/portal/en/profile/policy
Ministry of Transportation. (2021). Kenyataan Media MOT, MIROS Dengan Kerjasama JPJ, Pengendali Perkhidmatan Dan Penghantar Bergabung Tenaga Untuk Keselamatan Penunggang P-Hailing Di Malaysia.
Ministry of Transportation. (2022). Malaysia Road Safety Plan 2022-2030. Retrieved from https://www.mot.gov.my/en/Pages/Land/Safety%20and%20Security/MRSP%202022-2030%20(1022).pdf.
NST Business. (2023, February 24). Budget 2023: EPF pleased its concerns are addressed in the 2023 Budget, says CEO. New Straits Times. Retrieved from https://www.nst.com.my/business/2023 /02/883298/budget-2023-epf-pleased-its-concerns-are-addressed-2023-budget-says-ceo.
Olsen, T. (2019). The Development of a National Crowdsourcing Strategy for Economic Growth in Malaysia. The 13th Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems (MCIS).
Radzi, M. S. N. M., Bidin, A., Musa, M. K., & Hamid, N. ‘A. (2022). Protecting gig workers' interests in Malaysia through registered association under the societies act 1966. IIUM Law Journal, 30(S1), 157–179. https://doi.org/10.31436/iiumlj.v30is1.702
Rahim, A. F. A., Yaacob, N. A., Noor, R. M., Najid, N. A., & Zulkifli, N. (2021). Strengthening the Gig Economy: Future of Digital Labor Workforce Platform Post-Covid-19. GADING (Online) Journal for Social Sciences, 24(4).
Razak, F. A., & Sulaiman, M. (2020). Halal assurance in on-demand food delivery service: A conceptual study. Journal of Halal Industry & Services, 3(1), 20-30. doi: 10.2478/johis-2020-0003
Schmidt, G. B., Philip, J., Van Dellen, S. A., & Islam, S. (2022). Gig worker organizing: toward an adapted Attraction-Selection-Attrition framework. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 38(1), 47-59.
TERAJU. (2022). Peluang pekerjaan dalam perkhidmatan p-hailing (penghantar makanan) di kalangan bumiputera semasa pandemik covid-19. Retrieved from https://www.teraju.gov.my/documents/r4.pdf.
The Star. (2022, October 8). Socso CEO hails move to include gig workers too. The Star. Retrieved from https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/10/08/socso-ceo-hails-move-to-include-gig-workers-too.
Uchiyama, Y., Furuoka, F. and Md. Akhir, M.N. (2022). Gig workers, social protection and labor market inequality: Lessons from Malaysia. Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia, 56(3), 165-184.
Wood, A. J., Graham, M., Lehdonvirta, V., & Hjorth, I. (2019). Good gig, bad gig: autonomy and algorithmic control in the global gig economy. Work, employment and society, 33(1), 56-75.
Yusof, N. H. M., Omar, N. A., & Hamid, N. A. (2019). Halal logistics in food delivery service: The case of Malaysia. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 10(4), 1186-1204. doi: 10.1108/JIMA-03-2018-0050
Published
2024-03-20
How to Cite
Ahmad, K. S., Abd Samad, K., Abd Rahman, N. H., Mohd Daud, S. N., Marmaya, N. H., Nasution, Y. S. J., & Hamzah, R. (2024). Policies Improving the Well-Being of Gig Workers in Malaysia. Information Management and Business Review, 16(1(I), 182-189. https://doi.org/10.22610/imbr.v16i1(I).3698
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Copyright (c) 2024 Khaizie Sazimah Ahmad, Khairunnisa Abd Samad, Nur Hayati Abd Rahman, Siti Nurazira Mohd Daud, Najihah Hanisah Marmaya, Yenni Samri Juliati Nasution, Raseeda Hamzah
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