Setting the stage for gig workers

Gig work in Malaysia is also associated with low-paying and low-skilled jobs such as e-hailing and food delivery. High-skilled workers working in project-based roles are typically excluded from this category. 一 CHAN TAK KONG/The Star

GIG worker is an all-inclusive term for independent contractors or freelancers.

The gig economy has always existed, from casual workers in the countryside assisting their more prosperous neighbours who owned farms or large estates hundreds of years ago. It also existed for those making a living by helping merchants and artisans with seasonal work in cities and towns.