KUALA LUMPUR — With the government accelerating the tabling of the Gig Workers Bill, a pivotal question is being asked by industry experts: “Why the rush?”
This critical query, posed by Wan Agyl Wan Hassan, managing partner of mobility think tank MYmobility, encapsulates a growing unease among gig economy stakeholders. They argue that pushing the bill through Parliament without first establishing the Malaysia Gig Economy Commission (SEGiM) is putting the cart before the horse.
“The government must first establish SEGiM. Let the commission regulate, develop, and formulate the necessary acts,” Wan Agyl asserted, arguing that a specialised body is essential to navigate the industry’s complexities.
Rushing the legislation without this foundational step, he warned, risks creating a flawed framework that could destabilise the very ecosystem it aims to protect.
His call for a more measured approach comes as Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced an expedited timeline for the bill.
During a ‘teh tarik’ santai (relaxed) session with industry players at the Putra World Trade Centre yesterday, Zahid confirmed the first reading is set for August 14, followed by a second reading and debate just twelve days later on August 26, with only a simple majority needed to pass.
The government’s intent, as stated by Zahid and Human Resources Minister Steven Sim, is to create a vital social protection framework for the nation’s 1.12 million gig workers, positioning Malaysia as a leader in this space.
Sim noted the draft was formulated after engaging over 3,000 workers and that the Malaysian model is viewed as “comprehensive and not extreme” on the international stage.
However, this top-down rush to legislate is causing significant anxiety for on-the-ground platform operators, whose concerns mirror the high-level structural issues raised by Wan Agyl.
They fear the bill, in its current undisclosed form, fails to grasp the operational realities of their businesses.
Rahman Hussin, head of business development at online childcare platform Kiddocare, described the spirit of the bill as being “lost in translation.” He echoed the call for transparency, stressing the urgent need to see the Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) that should underpin such a significant piece of legislation.
“Surely the government has to do an impact analysis,” Rahman said.
“The industry, especially a local platform like ours, we need to know what’s going to happen if this kicks in. We need to know what the cost of compliance is.”
He highlighted the bill’s apparent assumption that all gig workers desire mandatory PERKESO deductions, a premise his platform’s experience refutes.
“We have challenges whereby the workers say, ‘Look, I don’t want to be deducted, I just want my net pay’,” he stated, pointing to the logistical nightmare of forcing contributions and the added cost of re-engineering financial systems to comply.
This fear of unsustainable costs is the primary concern for Haji Jalludin Abu Hassan, director of Halo Delivery, a local service that focuses on rural areas often overlooked by larger competitors.
“We as a small company, our concern is the cost,” Jalludin stated frankly.
“We are afraid the cost will be high, that we won’t be able to afford it, and we are afraid of having to shut down.”
The potential failure of smaller, local players, he warned, would have a devastating ripple effect. It would allow large corporations to monopolise the market, hurting not just local businesses but also consumers in underserved communities who rely on services like Halo Delivery.
Like Rahman, Jalludin lamented the lack of detailed information.
“We see the basics of it, but in detail, we don’t know what will actually be tabled. That is our concern,” he urged, stressing the need for meaningful discussion with the ministry before the bill becomes law.
These platforms insist they are not opposed to worker welfare and have been proactive in implementing protections. Jalludin confirmed that Halo Delivery has been paying 100% of its riders’ PERKESO contributions since 2022 and has also begun contributing to their KWSP.
Ultimately, the collective voice of these local industry players is a plea for prudence over haste. They support the goal of worker protection but contend that a durable, effective framework can only be built through a transparent and consultative process, ideally guided by a dedicated body like SEGiM, to ensure the Gig Workers Bill strengthens, rather than strangles, Malaysia’s burgeoning digital economy. – August 8, 2025