RM2,300 pay for graduates in KL has to end! Why fresh graduates should ask for 50% raise after 2 years. Stop enslaving graduates and push them towards “debt bondage”.

It is not right for CEOs like myself to earn so many more times when we try to squeeze you that RM200-400. Some banks and big companies CEOs are earning RM150,000 to RM700,000 a month when your parents need to subsidise you to survive. These figures I have gotten from their companies annual reports. You can verify.

Their expenses to live with dignity in KL is RM3,415.

Car RM500
Petrol RM300
Parking RM100
Room RM600
Parents RM300
Food RM900
Phone bill RM100
Phone cost RM100
Entertainment RM0
Fitness RM0
Wardrobe RM0
Holiday RM0
EPF 11%
Tax 5%

It is only natural that after working for two years, you expect yourself to earn a living wage, RM4,000 in KL.

My full post on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/g2xfXsX

Not trying to troll, but the argument from the employers are:

Buy Axia E (Manual Transmission), only RM 256 for 9 years
or buy Bus Pass RM 50 only
Phone bill, use those RM 30 - RM 35 plan that's plenty. 3Mbps is enough
Room, get some roommates

take or leave it.
only 2 options.

Another day another thread.

While I agree that 2300 is tough to survive on in KL, your lists of expenses are high.

Many single income families make do with less so you can basically see where this is going. Is it hard, yes, but that's where we all start from.

Not sure how you go about your budget. I don't spend more than 600/month on food. My daily food budget is 20/day and I am fine. Rent a cheaper room. Why are you paying 100/m for your phone bill? I'm sure if you cut your cloth accordingly, you can make do with 2300.

Don't confuse dignity with being lavish. It's a matter of perspective.

Soon they will pay RM1,800. Never change in years

my cousin just got her RM2k salary last month.

Phone bill of RM100 allow you to avoid broadband too. Just enough. Phone bill is quite inelastic.

My food is RM900 as graduates need to join colleague for lunches too. If you work in KL Sentral and stay in Setapak, I think that is your cost.

So RM2,300 is luxury

i wake up travel by bus 1 1/2 hour everyday for the past 3 years to go to work from one state to another to go to work. wake up at 5am every day to go to bus station to grab a bus.

Then after that still no car and started renting a room when salary was ok and then still took lrt/mrt to work every day for another 4 years..

nowadays flesh glad come out oredi complain earning peanuts and still wanna own a car straight away.

I bought my first car at the age of 30 and it was a Myvi.
nowadays flesh glad also dun want to look at myvi and oredi wanna drive SUV or civic ketamz when they earning peanutz...

work their way up the leddar la.. instead of complaining.. coz nowadays mellinnials sooo sayur... cant stand to slog like the boomers generation...

Times are different. Those days you don't have Facebook...social status is now best thrown all over fresh grad face. Everyone wants to earn money and buy shit they don't need because social representation expect them to do so. This is reality and you don't know it yet by the time your kid grow up..don't be suprise that your so call those days are these guys those days and pressure to survive will be even higher

Be smart with your money shop around.

My unlimited data phone bill is 70. That is a whopping 30% lower than what you are spending. And no, I don't have broadband either.

What, you think I don't eat lunches with colleagues? Really want to save money, pack lunch.

If you are working in sentral why are you staying in Setapak? Staying nearer or with public transportation access means you can drive less. You can stay at Pantai Dalam where it is near and cheap, and have access to lower cost food.

Budget your costs accordingly.

Just too many general degree graduates that have this problem.

If one is more focus, the pay is higher. Just from comparing the pay of my children.

last time my inhuman employee gave me 1500 salary when I am freshie.

brainwash from tv is already enough.. whether you subject your kids to further exposure to all the other digital products is up to you as parents...
I personally dont allow them to touch any digital devices up to the age of 10 then they can start slowly get into it. At least they can grow up and appreciate nature and other stuffs around them and mixing with people the old fashion way compared to letting them being hooked up to the internet from the early start..

Again is how other parents bring up their kids .... there is no right or wrong.. just what kind of exposure you want your kids to have during their growing up years and what you want them to become ...

Funny how these fresh grads complain they can't survive on xxxx salary.

I'm making 5 figures and my monthly costs is less than the list. Yet they can afford to use handphones that cost 5x what I am using, sign on to mobile plans costing more, saddle oneself with an necessary high cost NEW car. And live in ways many would think it's a luxury.

Socmed is doing you guys no favours.

We have all started out that way. The basic necessities have not changed. It's just the added fluff that makes it look costly.

How old is your kid ? The issue is not how young they are but the environment they are in. The digital poison starts when they are in thier teens onward. Everywhere they look ( Facebook, YouTube, hell even lowyat has predictive advertisement based on what you search ) is plastered all over thier face.

The other thing is you think that bringing them up in a cave is prevention. If they have friends.....the influence becomes greater and you can't fight that. You have to embrace it. The way you bring up is considered those days method. In the era of digitalization...these ways will resort the kid by hating you ( some hate is good but despise is not. You end up being a father they never want to talk to)



There is no wrong or right answer but if you interviewed this current generation you will see how much opinionated they are. In all sentence you will hear the word I feel quite a little bit. Those days Mana ada I feel...is terus buat ..

RM20/day x 30 days = RM600 no?

.
Yes I agree. A fine example is once u tasted wagyu, you never want to eat KFC. Once u earn so much money, you get absorbed into society status that a celebratory meal of KFC won't be justice to your status and a meal to celebrate will be at nobu. Give credit cards and the younger generation quickly become in debted. Your salary can't fund your wants and your parents stop giving out allowances and what happen next ? Banks give you credit card that makes you feel powerful with a single swipe over than brand new iphone 12

Once the nostalgia goes away in 3 to 4 month, iphone 13 comes out and you swipe again without settling that 12 month repairmnt period.


One subject that must be improved in our national syllabus is financial planning. Parents must be responsible too with the kids and teach them how to manage finance and gratitude

your expenses list is pretty high
my car loan 5 years is only rm400
petrol also only rm250+ per month
my food expenses, and this is without me looking at prices, is max rm600 per month
my phone plan is data plan by tunetalk rm200/yr which is around rm15+ per month

so its not necessarily about the salary, but also financial management as well

Car RM500 - Axia = RM350.00
Petrol RM300 = this equates to 2336km per month for the Axia (roughly)
Parking RM100 = I know parking is expensive in WM so... maybe can cut down if jalan abit more
Room RM600 = Get roommates can cut down to RM250.00
Parents RM300 = Case to case basis
Food RM900 = meal prep, can save at least 10-20%
Phone bill RM100 = RM30 plan is more than enough
Phone cost RM100 = Phone cost?
Entertainment RM0
Fitness RM0 = Jogging and bodyweight workouts are free
Wardrobe RM0
Holiday RM0
EPF 11%
Tax 5%


From your list can easily cut RM200-300 per month. If you take public transport then even more, maybe up to RM500 - 600.

Of course it's not ideal, but that is what making it "work" is like.

RM1,500.00 is tight, but manageable.

If fresh grad expects RM2,300.00, then expect that many will not be hired, and those that are, are expected to do 2-3 peoples' worth of work.

If you rent a room. Why not rent 1 nearer to your office? So you can walk, take public transport to work? Which means you won't need to buy car yet. Save you RM900. Add back RM100 for taking public transport.
Just choose a plan that gives you free phone.
Only pay your parents after probation with increment.

erm where is insurance? EPF cant count as expenses. phone cost is phone instalment?

There is a difference between bringing up kids into this world that THINKS they are ENTITLED versus bringing up kids into this world that understands everything that is given to them is a BLESSING and teaching them that everything comes with a price..

Digitization is a blessing for those who can afford them. Its not a necessity in life of needed for basic human life.
If a parent cant reach the kids to know the difference at a young age, then its the parents fault.

When given a choice of teaching gardening and carpentry vs how to use the internet to your kids, i would choose gardening and carpentry instead.. What about other skills like basic plumbing/pipe works and fixing basic electrical skills. I use to hate my dad when i was young asking me to help him to do all these things and took my time from playing with my friends or hanging out.

But now i am greatful that this was instilled to me by him and they will learn to understand it when they grow up.

Survival skills like this is needed more than ever for our kids in the future that we are sending them into..

Fresh grad want daily starbucks salary, can continue to dream...

Yep. 600. And even then, I think I'm eating pretty decent. I up my budget to 900 and I will be gaining a lot of weight. So it's a health thing also. I only eat 2 meals a day, maybe with a light snack in between meals. So 20/day is more than enough to splurge on cheat days. I make my own coffee because it's better. Tapau most of the time so don't have to spend on unnecessary drinks.


Again. Fresh grads are asking all the wrong questions. You are just starting out. Ask NOT what you can live WITH, but ask what you can live WITHOUT.

very true bro, i agree...when we first started as freshie we did not expect to drink starbucks everyday or go clubbing all the time, that time savings is most important to build up your financial standings...everyone goes through the same process except for those truly exceptional

Depends on your negotiation skills..
Generally fresh graduate should be around RM2.5k .
And also depend on what type of company and role they offered you.
You see the JD is super long like your school R&R Board with only RM1.8k , you pretty much know the company doesn't know what they're hiring.
Speak up abit on the salary.
Convince them that the role they're hiring requires more then what they offered. Just don't be rude. If they don't buy your advise, just move on with other company.
When you step into society.. it doesn't takes only 1-2 interview for that perfect job and salary.
Sometimes 10-20 you can't even find what you want. But the worse thing is just seating around waiting for that golden opportunity to appear.

My list of accommodations also need to come with parking. Give or take, not much he can save. If he has a Myvi 1.5 petrol also he cannot save. Food is 900 because the guy also need to eat healthier not just any fried bee Hoon like our time. These days humane treatment is different vs 2005-2010. I still think 2,300 cannot. 2,900 possible. 3,500 is for good graduates. 4,500 for best grad. My thought only.

May need to go 100 interviews in this market

To be honest salary for fresh grad is not enough for almost all major cities in the world?

Maybe in canada or NZ is the good place for fresh grad to be since i really havent heard them complaining low pay there.

Yeah lol
Now imagine rm2.3k for those with work experience
I feel kesian to them.

delete your account from all social media and forum

and start work hard

confirm you getting 10x later

if you continue to stay on social media, confirm you couldnt run anyway from this figure

Myvi is a luxury. If you have to cut out money for health because you're driving a Myvi, then you're not going to make it.

Why drive a Myvi when can downgrade to an Axia?

If you know that money is an issue, then you can't be fussy about choices. That's life.

RM2,900 - RM3,500 businesses will reduce hiring, simple.

That's already RM34,800 per annum on a single graduate not including EPF and SOCSO (employer's share).

I am sure any MNC or banks will pay more than that for fresh grad, local small business not sure.

Business need to plan on efficiency and productivity. We created too many non productive jobs that allow business to earn low margins.

10 years ago auditing firm already offer 2,800 for fresh grad.

Covid-19 aside, 2,300 is really very low.

Kalau pandai sangat, jadilah boss sendiri. No one owes you a living.

Many employees would be doing that the coming decades

My opinion sits with the 2 fellow forumers below.

I don't get why there's a phone bill and phone cost. Let me assure you i'm only paying RM40 for my phone package and i don't even have Wifi at home

RM2.3k is tight by today's standard but it's not impossible to have an average lifestyle.

Get an average car befitting one's affordability. Even if it's an Axia, it's fine so long it does the job. Public transportation is the best to reduce petrol, maintenance or any toll cost. Despite renting a house/ room for RM600 and still need RM300 for petrol is pretty high btw. If this person is renting a room, I would think it's a smarter choice to rent nearby the office (ie. within 10km). In that case, petrol would be like, probably RM150-RM200 per month or less.

Food RM 900 is like average RM30 per day. Yes and no to it. At most only have 1 meal (lunch) with colleague right? I'll presume it's RM 10 for lunch.
- breakfast can make oats/ boil eggs etc at home = cost less than RM5
- dinner can cook or takeaway from zhapfan shops or nearby noodle/ rice shops = aim for less than RM10
- Lunch RM10

Total should be around RM25 or less per day. If wanna save, meal prep own lunch and occasionally makan with colleagues. By eating with colleagues 3x a week (Mon, Wed and Fri) you still maintain that rapport and get to save 2 days a week (or the other way round). In fact yes, you can still pack lunch and eat with colleagues.

It might seem like petty calculation but at the end of the day, it's about making smart adjustment to your lifestyle based on what you have/ able to get.

I'll say if RM2.3k:
- Meal: RM 600
- Car: RM 400
- Petrol: RM200 (would expect this to be lower since renting outside)
- Rental: RM600
- Phone: RM60
- *Insurance (ie. medical card): RM40
- Parents: RM 300
- Parking: RM 100

*Optional of course, can subscribe later when he/ she gets a raise. But still, imo it's essential.
.

Hahahaha sayur ah, thought it's strawberry!
But that's right... indeed back in the days cost aren't that high.

Coming decades? That's slow.... now is the time... the push is already here now...

got job = bonus already.

you don't want, plenty others out there ready to take the position.

Covid will be over. 2,300 will stay

If you dun wan the job, Bangla wan it... No more complaint..

the job still there for you then good lar.

plenty out there come back position no more.

Poor grad can only compete with Bangladeshi

Starting is to compete not forever. Up the ladder fast if your potential higher than the average... Otherwise just stay low...

I think large companies has much higher starting salary, some audit and law firms easily starts at rm3k for fresh grads. The same applies to the management trainees at large MNCs and PLCs.

Salary is also partly driven by market forces. Company offer high salary to attract talent and offer lower salary for certain jobs that does not require talent.

I think the TS is referring to meeting "social expectation" where a fresh grad will:
1) Have a nice imported car: Honda civic/ Toyota Vios
2) Rent a decent condo
3) Dine at Tony Roma/ Rakuzen once weekly
4) Travel to nice locations

Most of these are moot now due to covid situation in our country but fresh grads even in SG and HK save costs bu doing the following:
1) Stay with parents (save rent, food, ..etc) and work until stable
2) Share with room with roommates like college
3) Eat at affordable places like mamak/ Nasi campur

Nasi campur at KL Sentral also not cheap.

This guy only have Myvi. He nvr share a room but his room not too nice. He needs Parking too at condo.

He really cannot cut 1000 from this budget

Is sad that our life have to start this way and many bosses only want to give RM100 increment and they may need to compete 20 years if they want to be loyal to company

I'm earning 5 figure but i still using RM38 phone plan only...
Fresh graduate should find working place which is reachable by public transport, car are huge depreciated asset and commitment if ur salary wans't that good yet, and obviously renting can be lesser if u shared with ppl.
In my early working year i rarely spend except on insurance and investment, u really doesn't have much choice to change your life if ur bank got no money. 50% increment after 2 years is possible in professional field, but u have to change job, most company dont raise much salary

This post has been edited by ragk: Jun 29 2021, 04:28 PM

Can share plan details, probably gonna change plan soon anyway

Since most company don’t raise much salary, they can actually pay you more and let you live with dignity. But they chose to let you hanging by the line. I elaborated in my post below.

https://lnkd.in/g2xfXsX

My example above is not extreme poverty, it does show what living with dignity requires in KL.

This is meant for discussion. Thanks all for reply and view.

The plan now given the mess we have to deal with is to cut all unnecessary cost as best as possible. Build up your cash reserves. Always keep in mind that everyone will be cutting that cost and you current bring home income may change for the worst.

With respect to TS, I wish not to derail his topic even though I may not necessarily agree with his point.

Can you share the unlimited data phone bill? I am using Hotlink around 60is but ada cap data la. But using not too much but ok la.

I get where you are coming from. But I hope you see our perspective also. 20 years ago, I also think like you. But the harsh realities of life changes that quickly. We have all gone through that phase. If you think that your current company isn't not giving you enough "dignity", then look for others.

I just find your use of the world "dignity" a bit condescending.
What is dignity? How about those earning less than you. Don't they deserve dignity? The world is not perfect. We just have to make do with what we have. Dignity don't come with your monthly paycheck. Employers don't owe you "dignity".

If you have the notion that just because you are a fresh grad, you deserve some form of "dignity", think again. Unfortunately, that's not how the world works. The country as a whole is going backwards already even without the mess we call covid. People are loosing thier livelihood as we speak here. Salaries can only go up when productivity in a country as a whole improves. Otherwise the cost of labour increases cannot be sustained. We have to ask the correct questions why our salaries are not going up.

As my reply above, the best we could do is to re-evaluate our priorities and what we can do without. Cut costs and shore up your cash reserves for emergencies.

I cut my own salary and since we have not worked this month, my grand total for commissions is a big fat zero. My income is half the usual but it hasn't impacted me significantly because I don't have any loan commitments. House and car has been paid off. My house is in order.

Now is not the time to talk about "dignity" when the large proportion of the workforce is just trying to survive the cuts.

I'm using a U mobile GX68 postpaid plan. That gives me unlimited data. I switched from a Digi unlimited 100 plan last year.

But anyways, plans change, so shop around and find what works best for your usage.

I see your point. We all been through hardship. The new generation need not suffer what we did. That’s the whole point we have minimum wage ya?

How much are you / your company paying fresh grads ?

say someone with 2.5 GPA from Lim Kok Wing Creative Writing

The problem of undertraining is another topic for another day.

There are good quality fresh grads today that get 2,300. That is the main issue that I am raising.

The CGPA 2.5 can be earning 10k doing e commerce now. New generation is very different from ours.

Our country also train a lot of students that cannot think, they will ended up not being employed for graduate jobs.

If you require a competent fresh grad with a good productivity, I don’t see how that should be 2,300 in KL. Many years back, 2009, my workplace paid 3,200. 2013 I paid 3,000-3,500.

I totally, totally, agree with this. You people can call me a boomer, I don't care. But I find TS budget for Rm2300 is still too lavish for a fresh grad. Young people come out expect want everything cushy and nice.

Car RM500 I am sure fresh grad can find cheaper car than this. If not, public transport.
Petrol RM300 Look at above.
Parking RM100 Again, look at above.
Room RM600 seems reasonable
Parents RM300 seems reasonable
Food RM900 For one person, RM600 is already enough. What food is TS/fresh grad eating? Purata RM900/30days is RM30 per day.
Phone bill RM100 With wifi calling using Whatsapp/Signal, believe it or not, my phone bill is only about RM3 per month, itupun just for the data only when go outside, receive and send SMS. YES, RM3 per month! Digi.
Phone cost RM100 Early come out to work, want to pay installment for phone? Buy the cheapest smartphone available and call it a day.

When I was young, I made do without so many things and learnt a lot of life lessons on the way. Again, you all can call me boomer for all I care because boomer means 'tough and wise'. RM2300 for fresh grad just right.

This post has been edited by BLKH3: Jun 29 2021, 10:15 PM

Supply vs demand

Let's say a company has only RM30,000 budget for junior executives.

Would you hire:

A) RM2300 x 13 pax
B) RM3000 x 10 pax
C) RM3500 x 8 pax
D) RM5000 x 6 pax

This is excluding employers' share of EPF contribution, which is usually included in the budget. So, the actual number of junior execs hired is 2-3 pax fewer than what's stated above.

So, from employers' perspective, since supply > demand, they can just pick and choose whoever is okay with the salary offered. They focus on quantity (equating it to productivity) and not quality. Yeah, it's true that pay peanuts and you get monkeys. But then, surely there are good monkeys, not just bad ones.

Most companies are still stuck in 'more = better' mindset. Well, we can't really blame them, as generally, the quality of fresh grads in Malaysia is getting low and lower. There are too many higher institutions producing fresh graduates but of low quality. You can often hear employers and recruiters complaining about fresh graduates.

So, with such loss of confidence in fresh graduates, how do you think employers would want to offer higher salaries to fresh graduates? Gotta be fair to employers too, especially now we're in the midst of a pandemic.

Fresh graduates should just take up those offers that they feel okay enough to feed themselves and give some to parents (temporarily sacrificing some personal leisure), and work hard to prove themselves to be worthy of higher salaries when the economy becomes better, post-pandemic.

If fresh graduates aren't happy with what they're getting, unemployed people with families to feed would gladly take up those offers. So, what's left for fresh graduates are probably the bread crumbs.

That's the reality out there.

As for top management, why are they highly paid? Because they determine the survival of the company. If the captain is lousy and the ship sinks... that's it, everyone will sink together.

Is it fair to cut CEO salaries to 'subsidise' low-quality fresh graduates? I don't think so. CEOs have worked hard to reach the position they're holding. So, why penalise CEOs out of compassion for fresh graduates? Nah. Business is not charity.

OR maybe, don't bow down to pressure from Facebook and spend within your means. Shocking, I know...
Remember, you have a mouth to feed, not people to impress.

This is the best way to raise kids. The old fashioned way where kids don't bury their noses into smartphones and tablets.

That was my first salary when I started working in KL years ago (early to mid 2010s). It's definitely tough and you will have to be careful with how you spend.

If 2.3k is still not enough, take on a 2nd and 3rd job to cover the expenses. Not ideal but if you do not wish to sink, that's one of the few ways to survive.

You can push for more, say rm3000. See what the employers say. 95% of the time they will tell you to go and replace you with someone who will accept rm2000 instead.

Happened to me before.

Sad how most responses are about cutting down living costs, downgrading quality of life, be thrifty, stingy and miserly to "solve" i.e. argue away the low fresh graduate salary problem to be swept under the rug. Then there are others who play the "holier than thou card" saying they suffer more, walk 20km to work or live with 6 people in a 600sqft rented flat, and that graduates these days are soft, weak, entitled and complain too much. No doubt, graduates that are soft, weak and entitled are aplenty these days, and this horde of low grade graduates are the very ones dragging down the statistical mean of fresh graduate salaries by accepting lower and lower offers. All the unqualified applicants get a university offer, every Tom, Dick, Harry gets a degree. Then they graduate into the professional world with a laborer's worldview and attitude, never catching up to the ever steeper learning curve.

Back then, tertiary education was rare, and only those truly qualified deserve it and complete it successfully. They deserve to live with dignity under a cushy salaried job. But not graduates these days. Most graduate into B40 salaried life. Only the cream of the crop deserves a dignified starting salary packaged with growth potential, enough to feed themselves, their family and progress into the next stage of life comfortably. "But what about those who earn lesser than you? Isn't that unfair to them to not deserve 'dignity'?" That's something they should reflect on themselves whether they are qualified to deserve it, and what are they going to do about it. Yes, the world is not perfect that way. If one knows he/she cannot do well in a degree, learn trades skill or work to learn skills through experience instead, there is potential to grow faster and greater than degree graduates. But no, these people insist to squeeze into the degree bandwagon and the fresh graduate cohort is saturated with below par standard degree holders. Like some said, e-commerce or youtubers can easily earn much more. So why grind with others in the professional sector?

Sure there are other macro factors like stagnant nation productivity and supply-demand issues. Education is a business to generate money by churning out graduates regardless of quality. Many industries and companies in Malaysia are sweat shops for low skill, cheap laborious jobs. The institutional race-selective preference of admission into education or employment isn't helping either. There exist fairly paid fresh graduates on par to international standards, albeit limited. They are only paid highly because they deserve it as top-grade candidates, while the rest are just the churn.

With dwindling currency strength that reduces purchasing power year after year, cutting living cost and living like paupers is just a solution to survive. To thrive as a collective, something revolutionary needs to happen. Until then, sendiri jaga sendiri, go wherever benefits you the most, which enables your full potential to be utilized for a dignified compensation. Life is short and meant to be lived to the fullest, not to accept every downside compromise and remain the victim of a systemic failure.

its a very bad time for new grad.

Malaysia rising living cost and salary not up in par.

I do agree with RM35 unlimited data plan with 3mbps cap. It changes my expenses wholly after migrating to prepaid after years becum a postpaid subsciber. Years ago, a cheap prepaid might not be enuff with data cap but with thw intoduction of internet pass, u can enjoy cheap internut that is enuff to surf the web or light binge watch utube. A fast internet only needed at home thus my unifi served the purpose.

Because at the end of it, more than 90% of Malaysia's companies are SMEs. With small businesses, their profit may not be large enough to cover for all these overhead expenses. Every penny saved is important to the business.

Its a capitalist market after all. If you're in demand for your skillset, there's nothing to worry. Money will follow for sure. So weather it out in the junior stage and subsequently move up or move out.

Car - I agree with others that there are other options under RM500 per month like Axia and also Proton. So buying MyVi is a bad move if you cannot afford it.

Food - I work at KL Sentral too and you can get food under RM10 at Brickfields area. I can get a bowl of noodles/economy rice and a drink for RM9 altogether. If you forgo drinks and go back to office to drink water, even cheaper. You probably need to explore out a bit more to find cheaper options. If you wanna save, that's how you gotta do it.

Petrol - 300 per month is quite a lot. I drive to work daily and my petrol is only around RM200 per month.

Phone Bill - There are cheaper options.. My juniors at work are using around RM50 per month.

Phone Cost - What is this ah?


This post has been edited by blu3gyrl: Jun 30 2021, 04:21 PM

You should specify which job are you referring to bro. If you are talking about a degree holder but working as an accountant for an SME then of course la Rm2k salary.

Your salary is determined by your JOB not your ACADEMIC qualifications. If your a PHD holder but driving grab then you get grab level pay la. Pakai otak sikit.

If your really talented. Pindah kerja pergi job yang elok sikit.

This post has been edited by Ahmad Zulkifli: Jun 30 2021, 04:01 PM

Do you pay parking in KL Sentral and condo?

Accountant is also a respected job for graduates

Malaysia PhD don’t know what job to get.

Is this U moblie GX68 plan got speed cap or high speed data?

This happened to me also. There was 1 particular job required 2 years experience. I applied for it as I see myself fit to the JD. Got called for interview. The interviewer was happy with my achievements and projects done during university time (related to the job). At the end of the interview, he wants me onboard and asked to wait for HR call. I got rejected by the HR manager because my expected salary was high (Based on the market range for that job) and she said I only deserve entry level pay.

Probably the money spent to buy a smartphone

I think it depends on work also. If the work requires travel a lot, then car is necessary but most company compensate if travel is part of job like travel to client. If the job has limited travel and near MRT, the rm100 pass is a good offer in my view like in kl sentral.

Food at kl sentral/ nu sentral considered high class Liao. Most go brickfields (few mins away). Many nice chap fan or banana leaf at rm6,7.

Accomodation wise, I think cannot run but I will swallow ego and stay at relatives / family for first 2 years (when salary is very low).

My grad job is with big4 with long crunch hours. The travel allowance and OT allowance helps a bit financially. No social life so that saves lots of monies and departmental trip is mostly subsidized so travel holiday costs also reduced. Got some colleagues renting same room from college days even when they working (landlord assume still studying)

Carpark - Yes, when I first started working, I was working at Bukit Bintang area. Carpark was around RM 100-160 per month there. For cheaper carpark, you need to get there earlier to get a spot. If later than 7.45am, need to park at more expensive rate carpark. Now at KL Sentral, thankfully my company subsidised my carpark after my promotion. However, you can find cheaper carpark at around Brickfields area. This is where my colleagues get their cheaper carpark. Before I got my carpark though, I opted to take public transport to work coz it's cheaper. RM10 per day via MRT and Park&Ride facility.

Condo - No, not at that time. During my first few years of work, I stayed with my parents. However I had to give RM500 monthly to my brother as his allowance for my first 3 years of working. He was a student at that time. This amount is separate from the allowance that I also give to my parents.


All in all, I think what people are suggesting here is that he work his expenses around the salary he has for now. There are cheaper options. When get a better pay next time, then can adjust for more comfort. We all started as fresh grads before, having to save and pinch to survive and that also no savings for first few years. That's how life is lah.

This post has been edited by blu3gyrl: Jul 1 2021, 01:25 PM

renting same room instead of same house? working already should rent one room.

Got toilet paper only alr demand this and that.
Not even proving your worth yet pun.
Work your way up lah.
Phuiiii

I feel the same way as you but NO need to be so harsh. You too were once fresh grad.

Sorry if i sound too harsh but you need to knock some reality to these students who still in kayangan mode.

Yes i was fresh grad once but I was very thankful for my first job and first employer

Stop looking at ways to cut down costs and expenses. This is why Malaysia will only have cheap industries ran with a chinaman mindset. The matter at hand is the low starting salary of a fresh graduate. Not how he/she spends the money.

1. Who's complaining about the low salary? If he/she is some "hobbyist degree" graduate then it should only be expected. If a law/medical/finance/STEM related graduate, then look at his/her accomplishments, anything below 2.0 CGPA should not even be considered a degree.

2. What's the reason behind the low salary? Is it because of Malaysian companies cannot afford to pay competitively? Or is it the graduate him/herself does not have inherent value or potential to grow into the job, i.e. low quality graduate.

3. How and why is the salary so low for Malaysian fresh graduate? Is it caused by a systemic cripple in the education and economic sector of the nation? Or is it supply and demand factor? It could also be that good ones never complain with their competitive pay, and only the bad ones keep complaining because of their low worth to the employer? Survivorship bias? Confirmation bias?

This post has been edited by Murasaki322: Jul 3 2021, 03:35 PM

You have pointed out some very solid pointers. However I think it largely boils down to everyone not caring enough to make things work.

Employers think its ok to pay low salaries for staffs on all levels. In one of my previous posts I've read comments along the lines of "if not happy, feel free to leave; bosses can always replace you with similar salaries or even cheaper salaries. take it or leave it".

Some employees and staffs think its ok to produce crap work and submit. I should also mention how after working in Malaysian companies for a few years, the talent is only until that much. It doesn't go any higher. Maybe there is no longer room to grow. Maybe its the culture that does not allow the Malaysian individual to grow. If we are going by the logic where you get paid for your level of talent, that is.

I don't think Malaysia is in the position to ask for more. What can Malaysia offer the world besides cheap labor, which in turn they exploit locals by paying low salaries and giving low benefits? As disappointing as it gets, I think I have to echo some of the sentiments voiced by some of the users here: better you have a job than have none at all.

That's why there's a common saying: "if you are smart enough, and have the money, you would have left the country for better pastures."
AND "you get what you paid for".

I bet my life savings in 20 years, people will still claim 2k to be a “good” salary for fresh grads despite the rising living costs in the same timeframe.

This post has been edited by dudewhatisthis: Jul 4 2021, 12:07 PM

and there will always be those who argue how that 2k should be spent minimally by downgrading life quality to those of undeveloped nations, yes fresh graduate should take that 2k and save it, live in the woods, hunt rabbits and gather berries for food while drinking water from a well to avoid the exorbitant rising cost of living a decent life.

Yep, 20 years later people will make some post and breakdown how to spend 2k wisely as a fresh grad (factoring in inflation), probably we'll see some advices like ask fresh grad drink water only until getting promoted to senior position, then they only will be able to afford soft drink. I bet Axia will be considered as a luxury in future, then people will recommend fresh grad to downgrade to bike/bicycle instead. God forbid all these fresh grad having normal life.

Too many graduates now and most are still “immature “. What important is that how you can justify that you are the one worth to get higher salary. I don’t believe if a fresh graduate with above average cgpa, mature thinking, good attitude and good English comprehension/presentation during interview cannot secure a job with reasonable or above average salary.
Sometimes can’t blame the employers actually many fresh grad nowadays I saw are irresponsible one.
Also those low cgpa, lousy English speaking one most are the goyang kaki/enjoy life/ game addicted type in college...

You cannot just look at getting as much as you want, you also HAVE to look at how he/she spends the money. It is BOTH. Otherwise, if employers gives you RM10k straight out of college, you will come back to this forum saying the same thing.

Problem is, fresh grad only looks at fresh grad point of view and employer only looks at employer point of view. What I hate is as soon as somebody progressed from employee to employer, he begins to discard his fresh-grad thinking and become stingy Chinaman boss.

Okay let me add on my perspective as a freshie (< 3 years of exp.)

IMHO, the reason why low salary happens to freshie its because, the university overproduce them. Everyone can get a piece of Degree nowadays, because lax of entry requirement and easy PTPTN approval. Definitely, supply vs demand issue here.

Now, I'm looking for ways to enhance my piece of paper. To differentiate myself from waves of freshie out there.

it can be enough if you plan your expenses wisely.

But definitely on the borderline...

i can foresee this low pay wont be going away soon and is already embedded in malaysian culture for many many years.

even right now when covid19 pandemic is still lingering and after recovery, lots of ppl who are jobless will be exploited with mediocre salary.

all i can say is that most fresh grads have the disadvantages at the start due to low salary bracket but i am inclined to say that if they play their cards right, they can get out from the dilemma within 2-3 years.

11 years ago, when I was picking my first car, the salesman that I dealt with told me that she requires at least rm6000 to get by in klang valley.

Well, she traveled a lot to find buyers- and had to pay tolls and so on.., had 3 kids..

But I think your food calculation is a little bit high. Maybe can reduce to RM 20 per days - that means you have to cook some of the meals, and buy some

Obscenely high salary for top while bottom feeders very low salary. Typical capitalist scenario.