While practice appreciated, workers say gesture still informal and dependent on goodwill rather than standardised system
PETALING JAYA: Tipping as an expression of gratitude is more visible than ever in Malaysia, thanks to ride-hailing and food delivery apps.
Yet for most service workers, tips remain unpredictable, sporadic and far from a guaranteed part of their income.
While some customers offer tips as a gesture of thanks, workers say the practice is still informal, rather than a standardised system, leaving them dependent on the goodwill of customers.
According to e-hailing and food and beverage (F&B) sector workers, tips are largely optional.
Yet, the growing visibility of tipping is creating subtle pressures, raising questions about where appreciation ends and obligation begins.
For full-time Grab driver Hoh Kok Kin, 38, tips come occasionally, sometimes as little as 50 sen, sometimes up to RM10.
“Sometimes, it’s because I help with luggage or a wheelchair. Other times, it’s because the drive is smooth or the car is clean,” he told theSun.
Hoh added that if tipping becomes expected, it could do more harm than good.
“Tipping may improve a driver’s income but only in the short term. If fares become cheaper over time, drivers may no longer be able to sustain vehicle maintenance, making tips meaningless.
“If tipping becomes expected, service standards will rise but so will expectations. When tips are not given, it could lead to arguments.
“There is also a risk that e-hailing companies may lower fares to unsustainable levels, assuming customers will compensate drivers through tips.”
Gabungan e-Hailing Malaysia chairman Marizal Mahidin, 46, who is also known as Jose Rizal, said tips for workers on platforms such as Grab, Bolt and Lalamove come two or three times a week at most.
“It’s usually because the customer is satisfied with the service. Tipping is not an obligation or a cultural norm in Malaysia but a sign of appreciation for good service. That’s usually how it is.”
Kumaran Thonkamani, 44, a Grab driver said tips are rare and usually small, at about RM2.
He said they are given for long-distance travel or when passengers feel the fare is too low for the distance travelled.
“It doesn’t change how I work. But sometimes, it helps reduce pressure, especially when fares are very low.”
While e-hailing drivers occasionally receive tips, workers in F&B outlets say the practice is largely absent.
Sharifah Irsya Dayana Syed Hamzah, 26, who previously worked as a cafe server and now earns below RM2,000 as an administrative analyst, said her former workplace had a no-tipping policy.
“If tipping were normal, it might motivate workers, especially considering how demanding F&B work can be.”
That view was echoed by Ilyana Farisya, 22, a university student working part-time at a cafe in Subang, Selangor.
“Tipping should remain a choice for customers.
“It would help if F&B tipping policies were more transparent and accepted, especially for part-timers who are students, as it is increasingly difficult to cover everyday expenses regardless of the job.”
