LIKE the many Malaysians driving for e-hailing service provider Grab, youths are turning to GrabFood, an app for food deliveries, to earn extra cash.

Those interviewed by The Malaysian Insight said without their part-time job, their monthly income is less than RM2,500, insufficient given the rising cost of living.

After their 9-to-5 jobs end, these youths hop on their motorcycles to deliver meals to GrabFood users.

This is the daily routine for mail despatcher Mohammad Fawwas Ameran, from Batang Kali, Selangor, who works in Kuala Lumpur.

The 28-year-old said he works as a GrabFood runner until 11pm daily.

“My salary (as a despatcher) is small. With the high cost of living, I cannot rely on income from one job. So, after finishing work at 5pm, I work as a GrabFood rider.

“Every day, I target 10 deliveries. The extra cash pays for my household and child’s expenses,” said the father of one.

Fawwas’ GrabFood stint earns him half of what he makes from his day job, with the money used to buy nappies and milk, and pay the rent, and car and motorcycle loans.

The extra income also helps him put away some savings.

“The economy is not doing well. Things are expensive. We spend hundreds just on nappies and milk.

“It’s tough, even though my wife also has a job, and we have just one child.”

Photographer Hafiz Sohaimi said the side income from GrabFood allows him to pay off his car and house loans, and support his disabled youngest sister, who attends a special school.

“With the house loan to pay off and things being so expensive these days, the salary from my full-time job is hardly enough. I am also planning to get married.

“The GrabFood job helps me,” said the 28-year-old, who lives in Ampang.

For Syafiq Roseland, GrabFood is his main job. Last year, he quit as a deliveryman for a handphone supplier to be a full-time GrabFood rider.

He said he now makes up to RM5,000 a month.

“I chose this job because it is flexible. I can manage my own time. It also motivates me to work harder because I get paid more when I do.

“I target at least 20 deliveries a day. My petrol expense is low, just RM20. It’s a good thing I left my last job,” said Syafiq, who has been a GrabFood runner for about six months.

The Rawang resident said the only downside is having to put away diligently part of his income as savings as the job does not come with monthly contributions to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).

“When I have extra money, I put it away in my EPF or ASB (Amanah Saham Bumiputera). You can make money with this job, but you must also remember to save.” – February 3, 2019.