We're increasingly seeing the Uberization of the economy, where platform-driven gig work with wages based on algorithms, and precarious labor conditions have become the norm. Look around and you’ll see many young Malaysians as e-hailing drivers and food delivery riders. But people aren’t just doing this as part-time gigs in between jobs or while waiting for college to start – it is the primary source of income for many, including some who have Bachelor’s Degrees. Also, think about your consumer patterns. How often did you order takeout via a delivery app before the pandemic? How often do you do it now?

But why is this happening? What exactly is the impact of this phenomenon? 

In this episode, we’re joined by Jeremy Lim who’s doing his PHD at University of Malaya, the editor of Jentayu and a Senior Data Analyst at the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (Asia Office). He recently wrote an article for the New Mandala titled Malaysia can do better than “platform capitalism.”

Image Credit: Shutterstock

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