If you're currently getting RM9K, then S$5.8K seems low. In order for the SG position to be of approximately the same job size as your MY position - my rule of thumb is that the S$ salary should be at least 85% of whatever RM salary you're already getting. Of course, if the position is not the same scope or seniority, nor in the same industry or type of company etc, then you can't make that connection.

How much you should be getting? Hard to say,.. really depends on:

- profession (mechanical eng)
- industry (what does your employer do? Mfr, trader, consulting etc?)
- size of employer (larger employers generally pay more)
- type of employer (single proprietor or partnership, SME, small listed, large listed, blue chip listed, small or regional MNC, large or global MNC, if MNC what kind of operations in SG, country operations, regional HQ, global HQ etc)
- quality of your qualifications (where your degree is from and what grade did you get, your professional qualifications, transferable skills etc)
- quality of your experience (the industry, size, type of your former employers, and what exactly did you do ie. job or responsibility size, job history - did you have constant promotions and enlargement of job size).

Generally, if the SG job's size and scope is similar to what you're doing in MY and the employer is a similar industry, size and type), then my rule of thumb is a minimum of 85% of your current RM salary in S$.

understanding that i need to secure a job first, then the employer will assist me to apply work permit.
before i reach that stage, any general idea on what range of salary that i can expect from SG based on my MY salary? 

That's the minimum... I'd would aim for 100%. More if I'm bringing some skills and experience that other people might not usually have.

then ask your self, is those indonesian workers got the same pay as you do? is those filipino worker got the same pay that your were getting in Malaysia? Do you look down on foreign workers in Malaysia it self. then you got the answer. of course, for malaysia singapore case, most of them can accept you, just like how our fellow malays friend accept the indonesian cause they are some what look the same.

saiga,

Why settle for less when you can get more??  Negotiate!!!

You ONLY have 20 years of working life.  So, if you get pay less, you will NEVER get it back.  Plus, all bonus and increment is based on your starting pay....

Dreamer

Saiga, so you travel daily from JB into SG?

something to share,

went to an interview 2 weeks ago, was ask if my degree recognized in "england" and worldwide ?

i said my degree is recognized by board of engineer malaysia and malaysia higher education.

then he keep pressing if my degree is some how related to england anot -,-' as his impression that england degree is the best and recognized worldwide. however, from my fren who is graduated from notthingham , his degree(3 years) is not recognized by engineer board, and he had to go for master , which is an extra 1 year. dun wanna piss him out, so didnt told him that....

ok, back to topic. then he ask me if i'm getting EP or S pass ? as EP will only issue to degree holder recognized by "singapore and worldwide" -,-' if the degree is not recognized, we can only get s pass even our salary is more than 2.5k~

dun knw is true or not , but just to share

a joke from one of my singapore fren :

anyone knw what DBS means ?