Cost of living in Malaysia....Too high?
Oleh Dr Zain Azrai, London
The argument in this thread from day one is the cost of living in each
country (especially UK and Europe) based on what you earn in the
respective country and whether the standards are higher than in
Malaysia.
I tried to point out that many Malaysians always convert and that is why they
say the UK is expensive. In fact, the cost of living is much cheaper than in
Malaysia.
In actual fact, Malaysians are being conned because for such a rich and resource rich
country, the pay in Malaysia is way too low compared to the cost of
living and inflation.
One good example is Singapore.
Singaporeans (average) earns around S$3000 to S$4000 and nearly everything is half
the price of Malaysia, e.g. clothes, computer parts, electronics, etc.
But the average Malaysian still earns RM$2000 plus and goods are double
the price of Singapore.
This is the same as the UK. If you earn around 2000 pounds, you can liken this to the person earning RM$2000 in
Malaysia. I give you some examples below. Maybe you can understand.
1) Good terrace house
It is more or less the same. If you want a house in KL, it would most
probably be in Puchong and not Damansara Heights. So your house would
be RM$200,000. In UK (London!), you can get a decent new house in Zone
6 (still within the tube) for 200,000 pounds.
If non London, you can get a nice house also for less than 200,000 pounds
outside London (Manchester = <100,> house in Seremban, Kajang etc. You can buy a nice house for R
M200, 000 below. So buying a house is the same for the local and the Malaysian.
Renting a place is the same too or maybe cheaper than in Malaysia (I am not
sure of this). A 2-bedroom flat in London is about 750 pounds (Zone 2).
500 pounds outside Zone 6 but still able to commute to London. A
2-bedroom house in Nottingham is 450 to 500 pounds. A 3-bedroom house
in Belfast and Manchester is about 300-350 pounds.
2) A car
A good Wira is RM$55,000. Most Malaysians have to take 7-year loans and
be in debt all the time. If you are earning RM$2000 a month, you take
nearly 3 years saving the RM$2000 with not eating at all just to buy a
Wira.
In UK, the average local earns about 2000 pounds. He saves
3 months, he can buy outright a good Ford Fiesta or a Vauxhall Corsa
without being in debt.
If buying a second hand car, even better.
A 1990 Mercedes 190E cost 500 pounds. My 1996 Mercedes E220 cost 2000
pounds. My friend just gave me his 1989 Honda Accord (Auto) for free
because he said he could only get 30 pounds for it.
I used it for a few months and decided to give it of for free too.
That alone speaks for itself.
Even if you are kuli or an office boy, you still can drive a Mercedes or a BM.
Yes, kuli's and office boy's get paid quite well.
Average temp/office boy in London can earn about 7 to 10 pounds and hour.
Overtime is 1.5 times or double. A brick-layer can earn 20 pounds an
hour.
The same Indon who lays bricks in Malaysia earns RM$50 for the whole day.
Before I became a doctor, I used to be an office boy and I earned near 300
pounds a week working about 70 hours a week. My makan was 30 pounds a
week. My rent was 70 pounds a week for a room but I still drove a BMW
back then. I bought the 10-year old BMW 3 Series car for 200 pounds.
Amazing how an office boy can drive a safe and luxurious car.
3) Petrol
For a UK person earning 2000 pounds, 80 pence (now: 92 pence) a
litre/gallon is cheaper than RM$1.52 (now: RM$1.92!) paid in Malaysia.
If you don't convert, it is like paying 80 sen a litre in Malaysia
4) Shopping
20 pounds (which is 1% of 2000 pounds) can buy you 1 week's worth of
groceries in Tesco. RM$100 (which is 10% of RM$2000) can also buy you 1
week's worth of groceries in Giant or Carrefour.
5) Utility Bills (This is what I pay in UK)
Virtually non-stop heating the whole day only 20 pounds a month (Only 1% of the 2000 pounds earned).
Electricity, I use my electricity maximum only 20 pounds a month.(Only 1% of the 2000 pounds earned)
My water bill also comes to about 20 pounds a month (Only 1% of the 2000 pounds earned)
My internet - I get 2Mbps for about 25 pounds (Bulldog DSL) (Also slightly above 1% of the 2000 pounds earned)
Astro Equivalent (NTL cable or Sky) - 30 pounds per month (Also slightly above 1% of the 2000 pounds earned)
In Malaysia, this is what I used to pay:
Tenaga Bill comes to RM$200 to RM300 a month with 3 air-cons. This is more than 10% of the RM$2000 earned)
Water (Puas) comes to RM$40 (This is about 2% of the RM$2000 earned)
Astro RM$100 (if you take Chinese package) (This is about 5% of the RM$2000 you earn)
Internet Streamyx 512K RM 88 per month (This is about 5% of RM2000 you earn)
6) Books
A good book is about 10 to 15 pounds in the UK. This is less than 1% of
the 2000 pounds you earn. In Malaysia, you have to spend RM$75 to
RM$100 for a decent book in MPH or Kinokuniya in KLCC. This is about 5%
of the RM$2000 ringgit you earn.
7) Education
I think it is about RM$20,000 per year to do a degree in Sunway Monash and
about RM$12,000 per year to send your kid to UM, UKM, USM etc. I am not sure
about this.
But in UK, it is only 3000 pounds a year to send your kid to a great university.
That also, the white man still makes a lot of noise because the grants were
taken away. Previously, it was virtually free for the English man to send his kid
to university but now, since the grant was taken away, he has to spend 3000 pounds
per year to send his kid to university and less money to get drunk in the pub.
Well, if you are earning RM$2000 ringgit, sending your kid
to UM to study is quite difficult. If you are earning 2000 pounds per
month, you can easily send you kid to university in the UK.
Even worse for the poor non bumi's not given a place in local university.
Even if they can afford, they won't get a place because of the quota system.
Unfortunately, the Chinaman and the Indian who gets 5A's in STPM have
to be sacrificed and not given a place to let the Malay fellow with
2E's and 3 Fail's to enter the Medical Faculty or Law Faculty.
So the non-bumi's have to save RM100,000 per year to send their kid to the
UK. In the UK, at least the white man still can go into university
based on results and merit and only pay 3000 pounds per year.
8) Luxuries
Panasonic Plasma TV in Malaysia about RM20,000. If you are earning RM$2000 a
month, memang mahal! You have to save 2 years your monthly salary to
buy it. In UK, the same Panasonic (ironically, Panasonic plasma is made
in Japan and Japan is close to Malaysia, so the plasma should be
cheaper in Malaysia) is only 200 pounds. And this is only 10% of the
2000pounds earned.
9) Health
NHS is free. Though the service is slow, quality is still there. You still can get a
top quality by-pass for free although you may have to wait many months.
In Malaysia, IJN charges RM$30,000. SJMC charges RM$50,000.
GH is free but as many people know, GH and UH have clown doctors.
10) Assessments to local councils
I may pay high council tax but at least my council assures my streets are
clean and safe, got no holes (pot holes) on my roads, and they jump and
attend to me whenever I call them.
When I stayed in Malaysia, I paid my assessment and quite rent but MPSJ I lived in Subang) told me
to "podah" whenever I asked them to come and fill up the pot holes, cut
the long lalang, put street lighting etc The councils, especially MPPJ
and MPSJ, were more interested in eating nasi lemak and going for 10
teh tariks in a day during office hours and hardly did anything for their residents.
11) Income Tax
My national insurance and income tax also is not wasted. When I was
unemployed in 1997, the government, i.e. social security, paid for my 2-bedroom
flat for one whole year and I was given about 100 pounds per week for me and
my wife to live on. I am happy to know that one day if I lose my job, I can
still claim social security and get my apartment paid and food to eat
again for free. It is a good security to know.
The list goes on.
Here alone you can see, the sterling you earn goes a long way in the
UK. So your quality of life is far better in the UK than a Malaysian in
Malaysia. It is just that Malaysians are just too content with what
they have. But you compare apple for apple.
The British just love to complain. They have it made but still they love
to complain. Nothing is good enough for the British. The government gives the
citizens so much but they still seem to want more and more.
-------
I found this article from a website and I couldn't help myself to copy it
here. I think I had this discussion a few times with mala and a few other
friends, and I have to admit that he's got his points.
But to say that GH and UH doctors are clowns??? I do hope he's not a
medical doctor. Such ignorance!! A disgrace for a supposedly 'educated'
person.
Lagi satu orang yang rasa dia macam bagus sangat --> refer Mala's entry.
Hujan emas di negeri orang, eh??
what do you think??
with niza, zack and murni at Nunu's place 
bukit dan air
the driver + best friend
wif Niza and Nunu
Partner tido + host yang baik hati :)
