To paraphrase Mark Twain "The reports of graphic design's death were greatly exaggerated."

At least, within the animation industry, the current Covid-19 outbreak is creating more opportunities considering a lot of live-action film productions are shutting down. A lot of animators & FX crew are doing their work at home or remotely. The same should happen for graphic design within Malaysia.

It should also be a good time to do some side hustle such make T-shirts & sell merch online as well as building your own brand.

As for those stuck in dead-end jobs but have interests in learning design, a lot of online courses out there that can teach design, which you can find on Coursera or Shaw Academy which are offering for free (for now). Or if you do want legit diplomas or certs, there are online schools such CG Spectrum, Full Sails, Gnomon or Animation Mentor.