Puteri Umno bimbang kerja gig jadi pekerjaan utama anak muda

Media reports indicate the gig sector is now among the entities driving employment among Malaysian citizens. In Kuala Lumpur, Puteri Umno President Nurul Amal Mohd Fauzi has expressed concern that gig work, which should be a supplementary source of income, is being viewed as a primary occupation among young people. According to Nurul Amal, many university graduates are forced to rely on gig work after failing to secure suitable employment.

She emphasized that the government must take this issue seriously. The World Bank's April 2026 Economic Watch report, titled "Raising the Bar, Raising the Floor: Employment Agenda as a Productivity Agenda," reported that the gig sector is now among the entities boosting Malaysia's workforce. According to a Berita Harian report on May 25, the number of digital work platforms registered with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation increased from 11 in 2016 to 123 in 2021, involving 1.12 million gig workers.

The Bank estimates that 31% of full-time gig workers say they entered the sector due to failing to secure formal jobs that match their qualifications. Furthermore, 34% of gig workers who failed to find formal employment are graduates or tertiary-educated individuals. Nurul Amal stressed that the government needs to provide more employment opportunities that offer stability and career prospects for the long term.

The government should also create jobs or strengthen sectors aligned with fields producing the highest number of graduates, she added. Nurul Amal stressed that the issue of mismatch between graduate qualifications and job opportunities cannot be seen merely as a short-term problem. She emphasized the need to shape the next generation and eliminate such issues for the next 10 to 15 years.