Speaking of rm10 wan tan mee, what I take offense most is the abominable price of drinks in restaurants. Paying extra for food is sometimes justifiable, for example, if you are a steak lover you will know that you can't get good steak for cheap.

But what I can't understand is the rationale behind swanky restaurants charging rm 8 for a glass of coke. Do you brew the damn coke yourself??!?

Ranting aside, I'm 29, exactly 4yrs 7mths into my career and have just hit 70k p.a. in base pay (with typically 10-30k in annual bonuses). I'll say that you do need a combination of luck, diligence (i.e. you need to be capable in the first place), and a good working relationship with your boss, and/or your bosses' boss, and/or *some person* who can directly influence your career (read: promote).