PETALING JAYA: The rising cost of living in Malaysia has made eating out and getting takeaway food less affordable for many Malaysians, according to economists. They argue that it has become a hidden cost of working, especially for urban Malaysians who face challenges such as lack of time and energy to cook after work and long hours spent commuting. Experts suggest that the government could incentivize flexible work arrangements (FWAs) for employers to enable workers to prepare meals at home. They also propose improving public transport to reduce commuting time and implementing initiatives to help raise incomes.
Economist Prof Dr Geoffrey Williams from Malaysia University of Science Technology (MUST) states that eating out has become a necessity due to the high demands of work life. He explains that long working hours and commuting mean that people have fewer opportunities to shop, prepare food, and eat at home, leading them to eat out more often. As eating out becomes more expensive, it burdens individuals by increasing the cost of working. Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli has also highlighted that Malaysians spend about one-third of their disposable income on takeaway food, which exceeds the proportion spent in other economies such as South Korea.
Rafizi Ramli attributes Malaysians’ reliance on eating out and delivery to factors like public transport and long commuting times. He emphasizes that people have little time to prepare food after returning home from work, especially in the Klang Valley. To address this issue, Prof Geoffrey suggests introducing better incentives for flexible work arrangements that allow working from home and reducing the working week to give people more time to prepare meals at home.
Lee Heng Guie, executive director of the Socio-Economic Research Centre (SERC), acknowledges that food prices have increased while wages have not caught up with the rising cost of living. While the cost of food ingredients is also rising, it still remains cheaper than eating out due to additional expenses such as service tax, parking fees, transportation, or delivery charges. Lee suggests that the government should utilize the savings from rolling back subsidies to improve infrastructure, healthcare, and other initiatives that can help people increase their income.
Economist Prof Dr Chung Tin Fah from HELP University proposes several ways for Malaysians to save the money spent on takeaways, including meal-prepping for the week and allocating a portion of their monthly income for savings. He also recommends that the government provide sufficient incentives for savings, such as reasonable interest rates. Mohideen Abdul Kader, the president of the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP), suggests cooking meals in advance during weekends and freezing them for later use.
On the other hand, Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) CEO Dr Saravanan Thambirajah disagrees with Rafizi Ramli’s statement about Malaysians being “addicted” to eating out. He believes that people are trying to manage the cost of living pressures and work stress within their means. Dr Saravanan emphasizes the need to improve the economy, minimum wages, and productivity instead of comparing Malaysia with other countries.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
