I got mine through job portals. You could try your luck with major job portals like jobstreet, or you can go internationally for freelance translation. Although I find that international standards are much more strict and certain websites bar your application solely based on the fact that you lack the necessary skillsets, or you have minimal skillsets. If you've got good translation skills, consider applying for international based translation work, they pay so much better and the rates are in USD.

I am assuming you are hired by a 'shell' translation company then?  In a sense, these companies do not have their own in-house translators but rather they sub the job to people like you and me? If that is the case, yes, the deadline is very tight because these companies hire you to the messy ground work and then ask another 'reliable' proof-reader to proof-read your work.

Are you translating articles? If yes, which field? I do tonnes of technical translations, mainly for mobile apps and websites. So I would say I am familiar with most of the technical terms and hence, my Malay vocab in the field of translation is extremely vast.