26/01/2026

MONDAY | JAN 26, 2026

5 E-hailing, food delivery apps driving tipping culture

Teen nabbed four times for riding motorcycle without valid licence KUALA LUMPUR: A 17-year-old boy was arrested for a fourth time for riding a motorcycle without a valid licence during Ops Samseng Jalanan on the Duta-Ulu Kelang (DUKE) Expressway in Sentul yesterday. He had been summoned three three times previously for the same offence. The teenager from Wangsa Maju said he had to work at a restaurant to settle the summonses totalling about RM900 as both his parents were unemployed. He said he was on his way to a friend’s house when he was arrested. The teen claimed he was in the process of obtaining his licence, and expects to get it by the end of the month, adding that his parents had told him to take responsibility for his actions. Kuala Lumpur Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department chief ACP Mohd Zamzuri Mohd Isa said the arrest was made during a special operation following complaints about street gang activities and disturbances in the area. He said illegal racing had been detected since last year, especially on weekends, along a 1.8km stretch of the expressway towards the Gombak Interchange. He added that the races involved riders from various places in the Klang Valley, including Gombak, Kajang and Cheras. The operation, held from 9pm on Sunday to 5am yesterday, involved 10 officers and 106 Kuala Lumpur Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department personnel, with assistance from the National Anti-Drug Agency and the DUKE concessionaire. From Jan 1 to yesterday, 40 arrests were made under Section 42 of the Road Transport Act. During simultaneous operations at several roads, 450 motorcycles were inspected, 83 seized, six riders arrested under Section 42 and one detained for methamphetamine use under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

Ű BY FAIZ RUZMAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

o While practice appreciated, workers say gesture still informal and dependent on goodwill rather than standardised system

as sufficient compensation. “The emergence of tipping in Malaysia is more likely linked to heightened awareness of rising living costs and perceptions that many service workers are financially vulnerable. “Consumers may tip out of empathy or solidarity rather than adherence to a social custom. “If tips are seen as a supplementary income source, employers may feel less pressure to raise base wages,” he said. “Over time, this could blur expectations of fair pay and introduce income instability, particularly during slower business periods.” – By FAIZ RUZMAN 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.”

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.

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

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

For most workers, tips are unpredictable, sporadic and far from a guaranteed part of their income. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA /THESUN Most of the seized motorcycles were modified and most riders were aged 16 to 19, with some as young as 14. Mohd Zamzuri advised parents to monitor their children closely. – Bernama ‘Inclusion of service charge makes tips unnecessary’ PETALING JAYA: For many

Malaysia remains largely voluntary and situational, rather than a social expectation. Echoing this view, Universiti Teknologi Mara economist Dr Mohamad Idham Md Razak said the rise of digital tipping options should not be mistaken for a full cultural shift. “The increased visibility of tipping through digital platforms, QR payments and tip jars reflects greater exposure rather than a genuine behavioural change. “In Malaysia, tipping remains largely voluntary and situational, not an established social norm.” Mohamad Idham said most consumers still regard service charges

payments unnecessary. Socio-Econmic Research Centre executive director Lee Heng Guei said the practice varies across countries and depends heavily on how service workers are compensated. “In many countries, tipping varies by culture. In the US, it can be 10% to 20% of the bill and is considered an obligation. In Europe and much of Asia, expectations are lower, and service charges are more common. “When a service charge is already included, that is effectively the tip. You generally don’t expect customers to give more. Even in Singapore, tipping is not widely practised.” Lee said this distinction is key to understanding why tipping in

interfaces such as apps or e-wallets that prompt consumers to add a tip.” He said even when labelled as optional, these prompts could create subtle psychological pressure. “Consumers may feel awkward or guilty declining, particularly in face-to-face service settings. “This can turn what should be a neutral transaction into a morally loaded decision, potentially causing discomfort, resentment or reduced satisfaction with the service experience.” Economists say tipping has not been widely normalised in Malaysia, in part because service charges are already included in many transactions, making extra

Malaysians, paying for a meal or ride now comes with an unexpected test – a digital pop-up asking if they want to add a tip. Experts said these prompts can make ordinary transactions feel like moral minefields, pressuring consumers to pay even when they do not want to. Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations CEO Savaranan Thambirajah said tipping has yet to become a widespread practice in Malaysia despite its growing visibility. “What we are seeing is more a perception of increased tipping, largely driven by digital payment