The correlation between the rising popularity of e-hailing and p-hailing jobs and the decline in interest among Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) holders in pursuing higher education warrants investigation.

Between 2020 and 2022, 188,884 Bumiputera students declined admission offers from public universities, with one cited reason being the appealing opportunities provided by e-hailing and p-hailing companies.

While e-hailing and p-hailing workers have the potential to earn upwards of RM6,000 per month, the sustainability of this income remains uncertain.

The increasing number of e-hailing and p-hailing workers will intensify competition for both customers and commissions, necessitating a higher volume of orders to maintain income levels. In 2022, these workers staged a 24-hour boycott in response to reduced commissions.

Weather conditions also pose challenges, with heavy rain restricting movement and increasing the risk of accidents for e-hailing and p-hailing workers striving to fulfill orders promptly.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that such workers often resort to driving or riding at high speeds to meet deadlines and uphold service ratings, contributing to the alarming number of fatalities involving e-hailing and p-hailing drivers, particularly among the 15 to 25 age group.

Furthermore, the advent of autonomous drones in e-commerce logistics presents a looming threat to human involvement in parcel retrieval and delivery, as demonstrated by a local drone operator's tests in Cyberjaya in 2021.

Hence, it is imperative for parents, educators, and the government to educate teenagers comprehensively about the realities of e-hailing and p-hailing work before they make decisions that could significantly impact their future prospects.

Consider the scenario where SPM holders reliant on e-hailing lose their primary source of income. Without additional skills or qualifications, how will they sustain themselves?

Delaying further education until the age of 25 or older may prove too late, as they would require time to acquire expertise in a particular field while competing with peers who pursued higher education earlier.

Moreover, the stability and security of employment play a crucial role in decisions regarding life partners and starting a family. Hence, imposing stringent regulations on e-hailing and p-hailing companies regarding the employment of young workers seems reasonable.

Although salaries offered to graduates by some companies may be less appealing compared to the potential earnings from e-hailing and p-hailing, long-term planning should be prioritized.

What happens when physical capabilities diminish, rendering it challenging to sustain the demanding nature of e-hailing and p-hailing work? Can they continue driving long distances daily in varying weather conditions?

A conventional job offers a structured career trajectory with corresponding salary increments, underscoring the need to reconsider the minimum age for e-hailing and p-hailing employment in Malaysia, with a recommendation to raise it to 21.