PETALING JAYA: For p-hailing rider Mustaza Yunus, working in the gig industry is highly dependent on the amount of jobs he can do in a day.
“The main challenge working in this industry is that there is no set income.
“Everything depends on how much work you are willing to do; so if you have more jobs, you earn more, rain or shine,” said the 47-year-old from Cheras.
“When it is hot, we get all sweaty and the sun’s glare causes discomfort to my eyes.
“When it rains, we get soaked and stuck in traffic. And in flooded areas, traffic is disrupted because of road closures.
“We also fall ill from being out there experiencing the unusual weather alternating between hot and wet.”
Despite these challenges, however, he noted that the riders must do their best to deliver items on time.
Maimum Husin, 67, who runs a stall at a food court in Sri Rampai, said the hot weather has affected her business.
“People tend to avoid going outside to eat or even to buy take-away because they cannot stand the heat.”
Sahabat Alam Malaysia president Meenakshi Raman said one flaw in Malaysia’s weather monitoring systems is that they often assess climate hazards and their impacts in isolation.
“Extreme heat and flash floods do not occur separately.
“They amplify one another and expose weaknesses across multiple sectors at the same time.”
Meenakshi added that while Malaysia is currently formulating the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), a document outlining how the country will adapt to climate change in the medium and long term, the plan must serve as an integrated policy framework that bridges gaps by aligning climate vulnerability and risk assessments, among other measures.
She also said today’s changing weather patterns reflect compound and cascading climate risks as described by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scientists, where hazards such as droughts, water shortages and extreme heat occur simultaneously or in quick succession.
“The frequency and severity of these extreme weather events signal that Earth’s physical climate system is becoming increasingly unstable.
“As the planet warms, we risk crossing climate tipping points which are critical thresholds that, when exceeded, can lead to significant and often irreversible changes to the climate system,” Meenakshi said.
Environmentalist and sustainability advocate Anthony Tan said cities have become heat islands due to the reduction of natural greenery and the increase in roads and pavements.
“The poor are generally the worst affected. Their housing is usually in lower-lying areas, compared with the wealthy who can afford to live on higher ground.
“Besides that, work and schooling are disrupted, there is loss of crops and the elderly are cut off from emergency services,” he pointed out.
Tan said the first measure that needs to be implemented is to understand the cause and effects of climate change.
“Local authorities should also review existing and future drainage and irrigation systems to ensure that their carrying capacity caters to future needs over the next 30 to 50 years.”
