Can a family man with Salary RM3,000 survive in Malaysia? What do you think of this?
Let’s do some simple calculations here.
In Malaysia , the average family income is RM3,000 /month
(where father works, mother doesn’t).
I understand there are many families whose
monthly income does not reach RM3,000,
but, to make things simple,
let’s take RM3,000 as the figure. Ok lah, right?
Okay, let’s start rolling with a family which has
Papa, Mama, 1 daughter and 1 son. Ngam-ngam ….
Calculation starts…
Electricity and water bill: RM100
(No air-con, No home theatre, No water heater … ok?)
Phone bill ( Telekom): RM100
Meals for a happy family: RM775
(3 meals on RM25/day, RM25 for 4 persons…?)
Papa makan / teh-tarik during working hrs: RM155
(RM5/day, RM5 … can eat what?)
Car repayment: RM400
(A proton saga aeroback, 7 yrs repayment)
Petrol (living in city, traffic-jam): RM300
(go to work, bring son to school,
only can afford one car running)
Insurance: RM650
(kids, wife and myself)
House repayment: RM750
(low cost housing repayment for 30 yrs,
retired still have to work to pay!)
Tuition: RM80
(got that cheap meh? i don’t think so)
Older children pocket money @ school: RM20
(RM1/day, eat bread?)
School fees: RM30
(enough ah?)
School books and etc: RM100
(always got extra to pay in school)
Younger children milk powder: RM50
(cannot have the DHA, BHA, PHA one, expensive)
Miscellaneous: RM100
(shampoo, rice, sauce, toilet paper)
Oh wait!!! I have to stop here, so…
No Astro,
no movie @ cinema,
no DVD,
no CD,
no online,
cannot KFC,
cannot McDonald,
cannot go Park walk during weekend (petrol expensive),
no chit chat on phone with grandparents, and etc…
Let’s use a calculator to total up… WALAO EH! Shit! RM3,610 already…
EPF belum potong, income tax lagi……..oledi RM3,610 ….
How to survive lah tuan-tuan dan puan-puan sekalian ???
Our Deputy Prime Minister asked us to change lifestyle?
How to change? Don’t eat? Don’t work? Don’t send children to school and study?
Besides that, I believe in Malaysia population, there are millions of rakyat Malaysia which still don’t earn RM3,000/month!!!
What is this? Inilah Malaysia Boleh… Sorry … it should be Malaysians Boleh , because we’re still alive and kicking!!
Our politicians must be mad!!!!





MicHeLLe posted: 11 May at 4:36 pm
u are awesome… u’re cool..keep on..
maybe it works in sarawak…
anderson posted: 11 May at 4:57 pm
can…. that why rakyat is poor, just enough to feed our self no extras
Twiggy posted: 11 May at 5:44 pm
I’ll die with 3k per month.
ギンヅラス posted: 11 May at 6:34 pm
i want to be honest here…
i have 12 siblings and my family came from the rural area long long time ago when i was a kid… and my dad’s salary as a farmer did not reach 500. it will be our luck if my dad get 400per month…
BUT, look at us, all of us 12 adik beradik still manage to become ‘manusia berguna’ how did my dad make sure this happen? i still dont know. so my point here, the higher salary a family got, the more will the family need…
*serbuk kunyit, u dapat 30 sen juga kah? hahaha…
boleh kenyang sudah bah setakat 20 sen… apa juga mau dibeli kalau pegi sekolah…
galOutLoud posted: 11 May at 6:54 pm
Survivor.
(Verse 1)
Now that you are out of my life,
I’m so much better,
You thought that I’d be weak without ya,
But I’m stronger,
You thought that I’d be broke without ya,
But I’m richer,
You thought that I’d be sad without ya,
I laugh harder,
You thought I wouldn’t grow without ya,
Now I’m wiser,
You thought that I’d be helpless without ya,
But I’m smarter,
You thought that I’d be stressed without ya,
But I’m chillin’
You thought I wouldn’t sell without ya,
Sold nine million.
[Chorus]
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m not gonna give up (what),
I’m not gon’ stop (what),
I’m gonna work harder (what),
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m gonna make it (what),
I will survive (what),
Keep on survivin’ (what),
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m not gonna give up (what),
I’m not gon’ stop (what),
I’m gonna work harder (what),
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m gonna make it (what),
I will survive (what),
Keep on survivin’ (what).
(Verse 2)
Thought I couldn’t breathe without you,
I’m inhalin’
You thought I couldn’t see without you,
Perfect vision,
You thought I couldn’t last without ya,
But I’m lastin’
You thought that I would die without ya,
But I’m livin’
Thought that I would fail without ya,
But I’m on top,
Though it would be over by now,
But it won’t stop,
You thought that I would self-destruct,
But I’m still here,
Even in my years to come,
I’m still gon’ be here.
[Chorus]
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m not gonna give up (what),
I’m not gon’ stop (what),
I’m gonna work harder (what),
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m gonna make it (what),
I will survive (what),
Keep on survivin’ (what),
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m not gonna give up (what),
I’m not gon’ stop (what),
I’m gonna work harder (what),
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m gonna make it (what),
I will survive (what),
Keep on survivin’ (what).
(Bridge)
I’m wishin’ you the best,
Pray that you are blessed,
Much success, no stress, and lots of happiness,
(I’m better than that)
I’m not gonna blast you on the radio,
(I’m better than that)
I’m not gonna lie on you or your family, yo,
(I’m better than that)
I’m not gonna hate you in the magazine,
(I’m better than that)
You know I’m not gonna diss you on the Internet
Cause my momma told me better than that.
[Chorus]
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m not gonna give up (what),
I’m not gon’ stop (what),
I’m gonna work harder (what),
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m gonna make it (what),
I will survive (what),
Keep on survivin’ (what),
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m not gonna give up (what),
I’m not gon’ stop (what),
I’m gonna work harder (what),
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m gonna make it (what),
I will survive (what),
Keep on survivin’ (what).
Oh
(Oh)
Oh
(Oh)
Oh
After all of the darkness and sadness,
Still comes happiness,
If I surround myself with positive things,
I’ll gain prosperity.
[Chorus]
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m not gonna give up (what),
I’m not gon’ stop (what),
I’m gonna work harder (what),
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m gonna make it (what),
I will survive (what),
Keep on survivin’ (what),
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m not gonna give up (what),
I’m not gon’ stop (what)(Don’t stop me now)
I’m gonna work harder (what),
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m gonna make it (what),
I will survive (what),
Keep on survivin’ (what).
[Chorus]
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m not gonna give up (what),
I’m not gon’ stop (what),
I’m gonna work harder (what),
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m gonna make it (what),
I will survive (what),
Keep on survivin’ (what),
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m not gonna give up (what),
I’m not gon’ stop (what),
I’m gonna work harder (what),
I’m a survivor (what),
I’m gonna make it (what),
I will survive (what),
Keep on survivin’ (what).
bronzedgal posted: 11 May at 7:20 pm
Don’t send kids to tuition, don’t buy them toys, don’t bring them to amusement park, weekends outstation, don’t buy them story books/novels etc – meaning no harry potter books. Also, no piano class, ballet class, dance class, taekwondo class. Don’t buy textbooks – borrow from loan scheme in school. Ask the younger kids to wear hand-me-downs from older siblings.
Tell wife don’t buy make-up, don’t shop for clothing unless mega sale and really no more clothes to wear, buy only enough food and no weekend meals in restaurant. Chinese New year or Raya time don’t give so much Ang Pow to kids, and to other kids give only RM 1 in each Ang Pow.
And for the father, no beers with his buddies after work, on weekends don’t go play pool or cards – and also, no need go car wash but wash car in the rain.
dk posted: 11 May at 8:19 pm
Let me do my calculation
Family with one child in Kuching
1. Housing Loan = 1000,
2. Car Petrol = 300 Assume no more car loan
3. Insurance = 600
4. Food = 500
5. Utilities bill = 150
6. the rest saving.
Eh…….. , how to change our life style.
peacelover posted: 11 May at 8:57 pm
Others I don’t wanna mention, but about the tuition fee, school fee, pocket money… etc, especially the RM80 tuition fee, where got so cheap! 20 years ago?? It’s scary…
Trustee posted: 11 May at 9:55 pm
No kidding. You are absolutely right!
For me our Purchasing Power has gone down tremendously since 70s& early 80s.
If our parents earned (70s & early80s) RM800 per month then, today it is equivalent to RM 8,000/= per month.
However, if you earned RM8,000 today, it is NOT really equal in Purchasing Power with our parent. Because their ‘disposable income’ (income after minus tax & EPF) was higher because their salary was within the lower “tax bracket”.
1. Back then, brand new Toyota & Honda costs RM7K- RM8K, today RM85K. That’s 10 times.
2. As a schoolboy I got pocket money for 20-30 sen per day. Today, my sister allocate her kids RM2-RM3 per day. That’s also 10 times.
CONCLUSION : If one earned RM3,000/= today, that PURCHASING POWER is equivalent to a person who earned RM300/= per mth in the 70s or early 80s.
Who’s fault?
1. Bank Negara (that unable to monitor our Ringgit as good as Spore- we used to have RM1.00 = SGD1.00)
Today USD1=SGD1.5 while USD1 = RM3.5
If ONLY the BNM used their common sense brains, they would NOT choose to peg against USD, instead, they should choose to peg Ringgit with SGD (per Spore dollar) at RM1.7 as in 1996, this is what had happened:
(i) The global forex speculators who dumped the Ringgit will die/lose money.
(ii) USD 1 willl be around RM2.6 (back as normal)
(iii) We buy crude oil at USD70, we only pay RM182/=; NOT USD70 x 3.5 = RM245. (26% cheaper)
(iv) Petrol become 26% cheaper than today.
(v) Transportation, imported necessity goods cheaper by 26%.
2. NAP (National Automotive Policy)- that ripped off our money by forcing us to pay low quality cars at outrageous prices)
In Saudi, the cars like new Honda Civic/ Accord and Toyota Camry are around RM40K & RM60K. WE are FOOLED by our SO-CALLED National Car. What a CRAP!!!!! It’s a day light robbery to the nation for over 2 decades!!
axass posted: 11 May at 10:45 pm
God gives rezeki
Serbuk Kunyit posted: 11 May at 10:49 pm
Little bit like Gindy’s story. Based on my parents who used to earn more or less RM1,000 to support 7 children until we graduate from our universities, yes you may survive. But, how to tell, when pocket money of 30 sen for me to take to school was more than enough 20 years ago, but now school children will be starving if you just give them RM1.
Cik Yaya posted: 11 May at 11:29 pm
Yeah! Malaysians Boleh…
with my ‘boleh laaahhh…’ gaji, i use for bank loan (car), PTPTiPU (ptptn), parents, my junior sibs, my house, cuti-cuti malaysia etc…sometimes not enough, but im still alive..
mr tigercub posted: 11 May at 11:59 pm
(RM400 Car repyament + (RM300 petrol) can save a little bit lah.use public transpost lor…
RM5 just eat white rice with teh-tarik lor… can lah RM5…
Kids not need buy school books every months lah…
Hehehe…
Budak Bagus posted: 12 May at 12:40 am
I think with such amount of salary is too more than enough. Even to live with lower salary 1500 is survival. Based on your expense there will be a vital way there.
Beach bum posted: 12 May at 1:02 am
Don’t be upset. Try Kelantan. Sure you’ll live like a king there.
al posted: 12 May at 1:10 am
You are so right. I’ve wondered this since i’ve lived here (3 years ago). Before, even though i wasn’t earning great amounts of $$ in SG, i still used to be able to shop, eat out, have almost-nightly night-outs. Since working in KL and earning not so much, i can hardly shop, go out, even buy makeup!
That’s a big change in lifestyle lor!
Since when do politicians know what goes on at the ground-level? I think your calculations are probably too advanced for them to understand…
Lisa posted: 12 May at 1:57 am
you would do better if you actually bring lunch from home, Kids should bring lunch from home too.
make the dollar store your friend.
reduce going out to eat.
no cell phones for your kids (it’s unnecessary if they can’t even work for it.
Insurance monthly meh? It’s yearly so it doesn’t really count.
I doubt you be buying shampoo, tissues every single day.
I doubt you be buying books every single day.
stop making more kids!
Jedi Sapiens posted: 12 May at 1:59 am
absolutely with doing some small business
new_once posted: 12 May at 2:12 am
Balik Kampong tanam jagung sure got enough.
Try this at a small town.
Electricity and water bill: RM100
(No air-con, No home theatre, No water heater … ok?)
Phone bill ( Telekom): RM50 (Cost control)
Meals for a happy family: RM300
(plant your own vegi)
Papa makan / teh-tarik during working hrs: RM300
Sorry sir, no car for you. Motorbike ONLY.
Petrol : RM40
(go to work, bring son to school,
only can afford one car running)
Insurance: RM650
(kids, wife and myself)
House repayment: RM450 (cause kampong house cheap cheap mah)
(low cost housing repayment for 30 yrs,
retired still have to work to pay!)
Tuition: RM80
(got that cheap meh? ok lah at kampong for 2 subject)
Older children pocket money @ school: RM20
(RM1/day, eat bread? Ta pow food to school lor, what to do )
School fees: (now school fees free liao BUT don’t know how about Chinese school???)
School books and etc: RM100
(always got extra to pay in school)
Younger children milk powder: RM50
(cannot have the DHA, BHA, PHA one, expensive)
Miscellaneous: RM100
(shampoo, rice, sauce, toilet paper)
2240 only leh.