If Malaysians were honest, we all have dreamt (at least once) of earning a living in Singapore, thanks to its high standard of living and exchange rate. Furthermore, securing a stable job in Singapore is enough to make you the envy of the town and set you on the path to a comfortable and carefree life.
But how much are you willing to give up when this same job comes at the cost of your physical and mental health?
One man dramatically answered this question when he chose to resign from his lucrative banking job at DBS Singapore and became a food deliveryman during the pandemic – 10 years after he crossed the Johor-Singapore Causeway in search of a better life.
“Are you crazy?!”
This was the question everyone threw towards Zack Chang after he announced his decision to quit his banking job.
But why quit for another that pays way lesser?
Smiling calmly, Zack said that it was a matter of priorities. “It depends on what you pursue in life. Many thought it was crazy for a family man like me to resign during this tough season and become a food deliveryman, which most deem to be a lowly job in Singapore.”
“I was working at the bank’s customer service department for three and a half years. The main reason why I left the job was due to the negativity and stress placed on me.”
While Zack agrees with the “high risk, high return” principle, he noted that the price of securing a well-paying job was his mental and physical health.
“I needed a rest from the negative working environment. Even some of my colleagues fell sick while on the job due to the immense pressure. As mental health is of utmost importance for me, I decided that working in such an environment wasn’t going to beneficial for me.”
New beginnings
As Singapore grappled with the COVID-19 outbreak by implementing the Circuit Breaker (CB) last April, Zack began his journey as a food deliveryman, which was introduced to him by an ex-colleague.
“Thanks to Singapore’s compulsory Work from Home (WFH) order, I was able to deliver food during my out-of-office hours to earn extra income.
“After bidding goodbye to my banking job in March this year, I dived head-on into food delivery and never looked back since.”
Having worked for three food delivery platforms, namely Grab, Foodpanda and Deliveroo, many of Zack’s subscribers often ask him which one brings in the most income.
“It’s hard to say as they have their respective systems and policies. Since I’m registered under all three, I’ll choose the platform after taking several factors into consideration,” he explained.
Zack also told WeirdKaya that the greatest challenge working in this field is the weather, where he has to brace himself for both the sweltering heat and bone-chilling rain.
“Unlike Malaysia, most food deliverymen in Singapore use e-bike as their mode of transportation instead of motorbikes.”
Live in action – YouTube style
Besides sending food to hungry customers, Zack also started his own YouTube channel, Z Channel, to show viewers his daily routine as a food deliveryman.
“My interest in video editing stems back to my university days, where it remains a passion of mine until today,” he said.
Zack’s unique and heartwarming vlogs quickly gained popularity with viewers, and his channel currently has 12.9k subscribers. He ascribed this to the support and encouragement of his audience.
“What constantly motivates me to continue my YouTube journey are my subscribers, who occasionally message me to tell me how much they enjoy watching my videos.
“Some would even drop me a message to “remind” me to update my channel whenever I have no videos to upload for that week!”
“Everyone deserves respect”
Working miles away from his homeland, Zack admitted that he hardly had the chance to watch his daughter grow up. “When I returned to Malaysia in October last year, she almost couldn’t recognize me,” he recounted. However, he’s grateful for the support that his wife and family have shown towards his job as a deliveryman.
“Working in Singapore undoubtedly offers unrivalled opportunities, but there’s a lot of trade-offs you have to make too.”
Zack also believes that food delivery jobs are equally important and shouldn’t be looked down upon or considered inferior to other careers.
“White-collar jobs may be the key professions that sustain life, but so do cleaners, cooks and most definitely deliverymen.”
Sources: Cover images via Zack Chang
Editor: Raymond Chen
Proofreader: Sarah Yeoh
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