KUALA LUMPUR: Former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and ex-information chief Shahril Sufian Hamdan have criticised the government's handling of the Gig Workers' Economy Bill, including the proposed establishment of the Malaysian Gig Economy Commission (Segim), suggesting it lacks focus and risks creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
"The government seems to lack a cohesive direction. There should be just one clear approach, which is a bill coordinated by the Ministry of Human Resources (Kesuma)," they said in an episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast.
They questioned the motives behind Segim, claiming it was a politically driven move by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to secure support from gig workers.
"Someone must have gone to him and said, 'Boss, there are 500,000 people here. If we become their defender, they will support you, and in Bagan Datuk, you could win by a majority of more than 300 votes in the next election,'" he stated.
The pair expressed concerns over the unclear scope of Segim and the potential costs of creating a new body.
"Why create another bureaucracy? Why establish another body that will increase government costs when the most important thing is ensuring that the Gig Workers' Bill comes from Kesuma?" they asked.
Shahril warned against treating gig workers entirely as full-time employees, stressing the need for a balanced approach.
"Whatever is done must strike a balance between the current perceived lack of protection and the extreme of treating gig workers as full-time employees. Both extremes are not ideal," he said.
Khairy also cited the example of Spain passing its rider laws, which led to platform Deliveroo ceasing operations and job losses for over 3,000 of its riders.
"If we propose similar measures here, it will have an impact on platform operators and workers," Khairy said.
"Will Segim deliver significant and transformative ideas, or will it just be another body created for optics, giving the impression of action while the real work is done by Kesuma? It should be under an existing ministry," Shahril said.
On Nov 22, government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil said that the Gig Workers' Bill, scheduled to be brought to Parliament this month, was postponed.
This was following several gig platforms calling on the government to delay the tabling of the bill to allow broader engagement with stakeholders.