Malaysia is in a sad state right now when it comes to the subject of salary. The rate is so low, Malaysians, in general, have to find ways to supplement it with other sorts of income. This has been happening for ages. Simply ask around, and you will find their honest answers saying that they have no choice but to earn more than one income to simply survive.
This problem has been plaguing the country for decades. No one in this country can explain why it is happening. Even the cost of living here has jumped multi-fold but the salary remains the same.
Work-life balance, what is that?
There is no such thing here in Malaysia. During our grandparents’ time and before, one income is more than enough to cover the whole family. While my parents, both my dad and mom had to work and earn two incomes as primary school teachers to merely survive. Today, the two incomes of both husband and wife are no longer enough. They need to find something else to do and earn additional income from it, to survive.
There are people who then opt to work as a delivery guy or gal for companies like foodpanda and Grab as their second income source. The pay is not bad. Some even say they can earn good money by simply delivering food or items to consumers. Selling more time for money has its own implications. Two main ones actually. One, there is no career path towards a better future. You will remain there and will continue to sell more and more time in order to make more money. This is okay if you are young and still equipped with energy, but you will be in big trouble risking no income when suddenly you become old and sick. And two, you will leave your loved ones at home with no time at all for them. The children will be neglected and eventually become a person you will no longer recognise due to a lack of attention and love.
Scary yes? It sure is.
Getting the MPs or the government to help
The last thing we want to do is to wait for the government to help. They are popular for inventing laws and regulations, but not following them up by enforcement. Simply look at the average road conditions out there. They know how to build roads but they hardly know how to maintain them. And if you drive around Kuala Lumpur, you will see thousands of motorbikes and errant car drivers who have no respect whatsoever for traffic lights and emergency lanes. Running over red traffic lights and using the emergency lanes at the expressways during heavy traffic without guilt is normal here. It’s a wild wild west out there.
Now let’s look at the MPs or Members of Parliament. No matter which side they are, are almost the same. Their pay and allowance come first, the rest can wait. Many are showing people that they are working when their statements are published in the newspapers. They have KPIs but it is okay not to achieve them. Their fat, five to six figures salaries and allowances will still be wired to their banking account every month end.
By right, there should be a law governing this issue. And this law, like it or not, must be enforced without prejudice. The main problem here is that employers are stubborn. Stubborn enough to persuade the government and the MPs to improve things. And the government can’t even do anything despite having the power.
How do they persuade actually? Politicians need money to run political campaigns to win office. The source of this money usually comes from the businesses. If we carefully look at the political system in Malaysia and around the world, we will notice it is broken. It is never primarily about helping the people on the street and the commoner.
The power comes from the funding of these business people, who happened to be the employers of millions. I doubt the power can regulate these people for the sake of us. This is the harsh reality we need to accept. Politics is no longer about helping people. It is a niche to make money and power. Nothing more.
Your survivability is in your hands, and your hands alone
Now I want to tell you something important, new and important. You might be aware of this consciously but not realise how critical it is until today.
What you do after your office hour will have a direct impact on your life moving forward.
Think wisely about what you are going to do with your time to secure a sustainable and long-term income for you and your family back home. It is time to act and the time is now. Do not wait for the government and your beloved MPs to do it for you. They won’t, and I have already explained why.
My advice is simple. Here goes.
Stay on the job you are in today
If you are an employee, stay with the job you are in today. Work dedicatedly, respect the office hour, and the deliverables you promised and continue to earn the salary as the primary source of income. Stay employed for as long as you possibly can. If you are out of work, find one quickly. This primary source of income will help clear all our monthly expenses and commitments back home, especially in supporting your loved ones. If you are an entrepreneur, simply make sure your business is having products or services that allow you to earn regularly—as in daily, weekly or monthly. This is crucial for you to stay on top of your monthly expenses and commitments back home. This income is usually just enough to pay for those and nothing else.
Find a business that suits your passion, knowledge, background, skill and expertise
Finding another job is okay, however, the downside of it is obvious. You will sell more of your time and eventually grow tired in no time. Since you need your body and mind to stay healthy for as long as possible, securing another job is not sustainable long term. Instead, find a business that suits you well in and out. Find a business that you can do in your free time without having to monitor it all the time while offering a decent cash-based income regularly. If you do this business long enough, you will definitely hit at least 1-to-2 (or could be more) jackpots. Jackpots here means rare opportunities or projects that could bring a bigger amount of money. This is crucial so that your primary income from the salary can be supported by the income from this business. This income usually can help you to pay the debt, increase savings, stay debt-free, go for decent holidays overseas and purchase big items.
Carefully find passive income
This sort of income usually takes time to build. Passive income is a type of income that you can enjoy while doing nothing, doesn’t require your attention at all or require minimal attention. One great example is dividends from the stocks purchased. Or, earning income from an internet platform you created in which users are paying subscriptions. This income can help cover your retirement.
Conclusion
Remember, do not allow yourself and your family to live life solely based on your monthly salary. It is financially not healthy and dangerous. To me, that is just a step away from poverty.
