Malaysia’s gig workers welcome RM160 million welfare package
Budget 2027 measures include maintenance support, insurance and retirement contributions, with higher monthly net earnings expected for drivers and riders.
Gig workers in Melaka have welcomed a RM160 million welfare package under Malaysia’s Budget 2027, telling Bernama that help with motoring expenses and social protection would reduce financial pressures. The government and Grab will jointly finance the measures, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced in Parliament on October 9.
The initiative is expected to lift median monthly net earnings for e-hailing drivers by up to RM227, while delivery riders could see an increase of RM100. Support includes assistance for vehicle upkeep, insurance and contributions to the Social Security Organisation (Socso).
The government is also offering to match gig workers’ Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributions, with an annual limit of RM600 and a lifetime ceiling of RM6,000, to encourage retirement saving.
Mohd Iskandar Demali, 27, who has delivered food full-time around Banda Hilir for two years, said maintenance and insurance assistance would ease his costs. He said spending more than eight hours daily making deliveries meant his motorcycle needed regular servicing for safety and reliability.
E-hailing driver Sulaiman Ibrahim, 44, said vehicle expenses and living costs absorbed much of his income. A single father of three, he hoped the expected earnings increase would help him manage household spending and save for his children.
Delivery rider Mohd Kusyairi Jamaluddin, 30, highlighted the importance of matching Socso and EPF contribution incentives, citing accident risks associated with long hours on the road and pressure to complete orders quickly.
