I was casually scrolling through Threads recently when I came across a post asking people to share pictures of their day jobs and side hustles (Source: @iamayieee_ (Threads)). At first, I thought it would be filled with people chasing their passions outside of work. You know, someone who works in finance but bakes cakes for fun, or a designer who sells handmade crafts on weekends. Instead, the replies painted a completely different picture.
One person works as a pharmacist during the day and drives for Grab at night. Another spends weekdays teaching in school before performing as an artist on weekends. Someone else works full time as a technician, then heads straight to ZUS coffee for a part-time shift after office hours (Source: @iamayieee_ (Threads)).
The more I scrolled, the more similar stories I found. It wasn't just one or two people. It was hundreds. And suddenly, I found myself wondering… When did working two or more jobs become something so normal?
I genuinely admire these people. Their discipline, determination, and willingness to sacrifice their personal time deserve respect. Not everyone has the energy to finish an eight-or nine-hour shift and then continue working somewhere else until late at night. Many of them are doing it for reasons they believe in.
Some want to provide a better future for their families. Some are paying off debts. Some are saving for a house. Some simply don't want to depend on anyone else financially. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting a better life.
But as I kept reading the comments, I couldn't stop thinking about the bigger picture. Should people have to work two jobs to feel financially secure? That question stayed with me long after I closed the app. Some people proudly call it as “hustle culture.” Others see it as being ambitious. And yes, having multiple income streams can be a smart financial decision when it's a choice. But what if it isn't really a choice anymore? What if it's becoming a necessity?
There's a huge difference between taking on extra work because you enjoy it and taking on extra work because your salary alone isn't enough to cover your monthly expenses. When survival starts looking like ambition, it's easy to miss what's actually happening underneath.
We celebrate productivity, we praise people who are constantly busy, we feel that they are inspiring, but at the same time, I also wonder how many dinners with family they've skipped, how many weekends they've sacrificed, how many nights they've gone to bed completely exhausted, only to wake up and do it all over again. Work-life balance slowly disappears when every free hour becomes another opportunity to earn money.
What struck me the most wasn't that Malaysians are hardworking. We've always known that. What struck me was how common this has become. Seeing so many people juggling multiple jobs feels like a reflection of something much bigger than individual determination. It raises questions about wages, the rising cost of living, and whether income is keeping pace with what everyday life now demands.
Some people might look at these stories and think, “Good for them. At least they're willing to work hard.” I agree since hard work deserves respect, but I also don't think hard work should become the excuse for accepting a system where one full-time job no longer guarantees a comfortable living.
I know most of them probably don’t even have a real “choice” in this. When the average salary isn’t enough to comfortably cover basic living costs, taking on a second or even third job becomes less of a hustle and more of a necessity just to stay afloat.
In Malaysia, it often feels like inflation keeps moving forward, while wages barely catch up. Everyday expenses rise quietly, but income doesn’t seem to move at the same pace. I’m not here to blame any side because I know it’s complicated, but from a normal working person’s point of view, the gap is hard to ignore.
And maybe that’s why so many people are stretching themselves across multiple jobs. Not because they want more, but because they need enough.
Felicia Yoan (feliciayoan11@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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