Disclaimer: For educational purposes only. We do not necessarily condone any of the following.
1. Hair
There is a marketplace for human hair that allows you to monetise your crowning glory, including in Malaysia.
There is a high demands for hair from wig makers, artisans, beauty parlours, and ordinary individuals.
The most sought after is so-called “virgin” hair – hair untreated with chemicals, such as dye. Also, hair length exceeding 10 inches will fetch a higher price.
Colour can be important, too. Grey hair is not in demand. Natural blonds and brunettes are well received, while redheads get the highest payout.
The payout: Depending on quality and market demands, you can earn anything from RM400-12,000 ($100 – $3,000).
2. Plasma
One way to help people and earn money for yourself is by selling your plasma, the bulk of what human blood is made of. Plasma treats medical conditions such as blood clotting diseases, autoimmune disorders, and burns.
Extracting plasma from blood is easy, and only takes one hour via a machine. Once completed, the filtered blood is returned to the donor.
The basic qualification for a donor includes being healthy, above 18 years of age and above 45 kg in weight. Meeting these requirements permits you to donate once a month.
The buyer: Blood banks
The payout: RM80-200 per donation
3. Blood
It’s unlawful to offer cash to a person to donate blood, the reason being donors may lie in their personal details to get the free money.
But, donors can enjoy medical incentives. These incentives include free outpatient treatment, hospitalisation benefits, and free Hepatitis B vaccination.
Regular donors receive better benefits. Converting these benefits into cash can be considerable.
Some organisations offer special perks during their blood donation drive to encourage the public to participate.
The payout: Medical incentives
4. Sperm
You can earn cash by giving your sperm to fertility clinics.
In the West, donating sperm is normal as people are more open-minded about it.
Although this service is legally available in Malaysia, it is not publicised.
The hospital will conduct thorough checks on the donor’s health and lifestyle and if he passes, it will freeze the donor sperm before payment is made.
Do seriously consider the ethical, emotional, and sociological impact of giving away reproductive cells before making your decision.
The buyer: Fertility Clinics
The payout: Around RM100 for each successive release and freezing. Requires 10 successful freezings (every three days). Another RM1,500 at the end of the 10th session.
5. Eggs
Egg donation is more intricate than sperm donation. It comprises a series of invasive actions that include hormone injections and sedation. This may last for a month. The donor may also suffer unhealthy side effects and a longer healing period.
Fertility clinics can pay a donor up to RM8,000 for her eggs which is almost double what men receive for sperm.
It is necessary for a donor to be in good health, be between 21 and 35 years of age, be bright, good-looking, and in good shape. Because of its stringent requirements, only a handful meet the criteria.
Do seriously consider the ethical, emotional, and sociological impact of giving away reproductive cells before making your decision.
The buyer: Fertility Clinics
The payout: Up to RM8,000 per donation cycle
6. Breast Milk
BREAST milk is a gift of God and the best food for babies. For a few blessed mothers, producing breast milk is akin to the free flow of water from a tap and sometimes, milk production exceeds her baby’s needs.
Rather than throwing away excess milk, some mothers donate it to other moms who produce too little or to hospitals, or sell it online for cash.
If you are short on cash, you can sell breast milk online at onlythebreast.com via posting free classified ads.
The payout: RM6-12 per ounce
In Malaysia, a local chapter of Human Milk 4 Human Babies was set up in 2010. This is a non-commerce hub connecting mothers with excess breast milk to babies in need.
Although they do not support the sale of human milk and/or advertisements for-profit activities, the actual exchanges of milk are between the moms.
7. Participate in clinical trials
Clinical trials are scientific studies conducted by hospitals as well as pharmaceutical and research companies to find superior ways to hinder, screen for, diagnose, or treat illnesses or diseases.
To test the effectiveness of the new or better ways, it requires human volunteers.
As a human lab rat, you can earn thousands of dollars. In addition, if you have a medical problem, find a clinical trial concerning that problem. Besides cash, you will also receive the latest and most advanced medical help for free.
The downside? Sometimes experiments fail and can come with unexpected risks or side effects.
Hospitals and researchers seldom advertise for clinical trials. Clinical trials also differ as to its complexities and duration. So finding out a pay range is tricky.
Acceptance into and getting through a clinical trial is difficult. Thus, before you register to take part, consider the potential risks.
You can find various paid clinical trials in Malaysia and globally with databases of privately and publicly funded clinical studies conducted around the world.
8. Womb: Surrogacy
Many financially impoverished single moms become surrogate mothers for childless couples. But, for a price.
Surrogacy is when you are artificially impregnated through in-vitro fertilisation. After the process is complete, you give birth nine months later to a child that developed in your womb but is ultimately not genetically related to you.
It is an emotionally intense and legally complex arrangement, besides being a laborious process and controversial. But, the payout is good. A surrogate can earn up to RM100,000.
In Malaysia, there are, yet, no civil laws addressing the use of surrogates to have a baby. Malaysian courts have not heard a dispute on surrogacy agreements or contracts.
But, religious authorities have issued a fatwa (an Islamic religious ruling) in 2008 making surrogacy haram for Muslims.
Not all fertility clinics and professionals support surrogacy. So it may take longer to identify the ideal clinic for you.
This article first appeared in https://mypf.my
MyPF is on a mission to help simplify and grow Malaysians’ personal finances through financial education.