MOST Malaysians have opted for home-cooked meals instead of eating out or ordering food via online delivery services in recent months.
This has directly impacted food delivery riders who are now getting fewer orders since the start of the Middle East conflict on Feb 28.
Food delivery rider Rahmat Ramli said their delivery fees have been going down over the years.
“Our delivery fees have been reduced from RM4.50 in 2024 to RM4 in 2025 and RM3 since early this year,” he said when met in downtown Johor Baru.
Rahmat has been doing deliveries for the past five years.
He said riders should earn more commission for double orders but it had also been cut.
“Previously, I used to earn RM7 for a double order, now it has gone down to RM5.”
In Malaysia, a double order (also known as a stacked order or group order) for food delivery riders refers to a system where a single rider is assigned to pick up and deliver food from two or more customers or restaurants at the same time.
The system is designed to improve delivery efficiency and increase earnings for riders, allowing them to handle multiple orders in a single journey rather than making separate trips.
“My gross daily income was RM150 for a two-shift job – 9am to 2pm and 5pm to 9pm.
“It is now RM100 after the cut in delivery charges,” he said.
Fellow rider Danial Rozailan said if the Middle East conflict continued until next year, it would worsen the global economy and consumers here might reduce their spending further.
He noted that food delivery services were vital during the Covid-19 pandemic, acting as a crucial lifeline for both consumers and businesses.
He said the majority of riders enjoyed good earnings during the movement control order that was implemented in Malaysia on March 18, 2020 following the pandemic.
Danial added that lower food orders and reduced commissions had squeezed their earnings even further.
“Nevertheless, a thin income margin is better than no income at all,” he said.
