Malaysia’s Char Siew & Siew Yuk Vendors Are Making More Than Doctors (And Sending Their Kids To Study Abroad)

Growing up, our parents always pushed us toward prestigious careers—doctor, teacher, lawyer—promising that these were the golden tickets to wealth.

But in an unexpected twist, some of Malaysia’s street food vendors are proving there’s more than one path to financial success.

A recent social media post on Xiaohongshu created widespread discussion when it claimed that while some doctors earn around RM5,000 monthly, certain char siew (BBQ pork) and siew yuk (roast pork) vendors are pulling in RM20,000 a month

And they’re not just making money – they’re building generational wealth.

One vendor’s touted success story has caught particular attention: they’re managing to fund their two children’s education in the United States.

The secret to their success? Pork prices.

While specific high-quality cuts like Iberian pork can be costly, char siew and siew yuk are not typically viewed as excessively expensive for a staple dish.

Nevertheless, a whole roasted pig can cost upwards of RM2,000, translating into significant profits for skilled vendors who manage their operations well.

But it’s not just the BBQ pork vendors who are quietly prospering.

Across Malaysia’s food scene, success stories are emerging:

Chicken rice sellers living in bungalows, driving Mercedes, and sending kids overseas
Nasi lemak vendors earn at least RM20,000 monthly
Char kuey teow hawkers make around RM500 daily

Such claims have led many to question why doctors’ salaries seem comparatively low.

For context, according to Jobstreet, the average monthly salary of a doctor in Malaysia is between RM8,000 and RM10,000.

However, salaries can vary significantly based on factors like speciality, experience, and whether the doctor is working in the public or private sector.

On the other hand, many Malaysian doctors, particularly in the public sector, do feel underpaid and overworked.
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Many people study until screw loose, take on huge debt to go prestigious schools and expensive degrees. Come out work under toxic boss and get retrenched.

But char siew and siew york seller wins. Why ? Because seDAP.



This post has been edited by killdavid: Jun 7 2025, 03:19 PM

Duit haram ni.

Wait...
They got declare LHDN or not arrr

absolutely harum

Kuat dengki.

wang babi is halal or not...?

See spoilers

Ktard when see low kelas but honest earner they will say it must be illegal money while hugging their 4 digit job below 5k and cry aloud.

Apa ketahian, duit kertas pun ada kesan babi. Lu hari2 pegang tak mati pun

yea i knew a bkt seller staying in bungalow with several nice cars.
they rental stall (cinis we call it - wai sik gai") space for like decades now
very humble beginning but very hardworking couple, also both look handsome and pretty, daughter also inherit the genes.

other pork seller also well known to be cash rich.
havent seen a poor pork seller so far.

They compare top level pork sellers, vs average doctor.

Why not compare top to top? or average to average.

Study to become a doc, you are always valuable. Depends where you go, pay can be low, but it won't be lower than that. Become a food vendor, if you don't make it, your income is easily 0 or in the negatives.

Not all also profit la, gotta depend on luck and skill also

Some ppl very sedap but no luck also gg, some no skill but location wang² fengshui ong² also can successful

Same as some corporate, gotta have skill jilat and play politics. No cable work like dog also bo use forever peanut pay

This is not just cool story article. Just observe. The chicken rice seller near my house drives a BMW

TS tok kok!
Thinking being a hawker for sure earn more than doctors!
Thinking hawker life is so easy to earn more than doctor?

LOL, your thinking or what you think I am saying is totally wrong.

Who in the right mind would think hawkers earn more than doctors?
HOWEVER, many people automatically think doctors earn more than hawkers

Tongkat dari cukai..halam tak?

Dont talk about pork sellers

Lets talk abt puak nv pay rental sell food punya vendors incl that tiktoking “wagyu” pizza report as b40 and nv pay lhdn a shit first?

This post has been edited by Jedi: Jun 7 2025, 03:36 PM

How dare you. Malaysian business owners all suci murni pay income tax ok. Don't ever question that.

They don’t know specialist earn what figure. If revealed, conversation will be very different. Check out those people working in CVSKL earning what

Deswai need einvoice. Need to tax them more.

freshie dr gov 2 years and freshie locum - rm8.5k monthly

3-5 years -rm15k monthly

5-10 years gp or specialist rm30k-50k monthly

10 - till retirement - consultant min rm100k monthly

siew york seller not all earn like that whereas doctors are all standard salary of the industry.

career progression factor also

Des y cantonese says 生舊叉燒好過生你

Now u know why pork per kg reach rm40 above

siew yoke senior seller with 20 years working experience selling siew yoke fore sure wont earn more than doctor with 20 years experience

I know a chicken rice seller behind my house who owns 2 stalls. His son manages the other stall in another housing area.

Everyday wake up super early to prep the chicken & pork, one day died of heart attack, probably from overworking.

So it's not all sunshine & daisies for them either.

True, not easy. But they work for themselves.
While others uni grads come out minimal pay, put up with bosses, never get a slice of company profit and later replaced by AI

because the most expensive pork in the world is in merehsia

nope
everything in Malaysia is more expensive despite the subsidy

example
sugar increased 10sen/kg, drinks increased 10sen per cup
same goes to petrol/disel..when it went up, price auto up, but if it went down, price remains

This post has been edited by and85rew: Jun 7 2025, 04:12 PM

LHDN tidur...

There's a famous hawker in my wifes hometown . Couple I think sent their kids overseas to study, they got decent jobs go married so technically the couple don't need to work. But work is what they know so they continue. And husband and wife perpetually unhappy and at each others throat.

Heck once I saw the daughter came back help man the stall with her children tagging along. The grandparents also unhappy. They will smile and play with the grand kids but once face each other back at each other's throat again

This post has been edited by 9m2w: Jun 7 2025, 04:16 PM

Char siew betul

not tido. haram nak masuk how to assess the business and collect ?

I tell you something, my daughter ventured into this road side shawarma thing, she is making good money now. Some more want to make new branch. I hope it last.

Meanwhile, we sulk about everything.

Studies and degree is not everything.
Good work ethics and entrepreneurship is important also

Try compared top char view vendor to top Dr's in Malaysia. Probably better comparison like.this

I think most hawkers do not declare income and pay taxes … they are B40 from Rafizi standpoint but T5 from luxury brand standpoint …

U serious?

Or randomly hantam figures only?

Only those normal ge doctors male that amount -

Specialists draws in 6 digit / 7 digit per month

Pakai porsche to work is a norm.

Maybe they don’t wanna make normal ge doctors to feel like shit.

But pork seller is very hard work- and the recipe have to be right- preety sure there are more doctors than pork seller anyway

Dumb ass article

His right - most of my network specialist make that - alot based in penang jer, no need kl -

Do indo crowd enough make 100k abv / no need local crowd.

How much

1 mil per month?

Yes only m40 pay tax kan, based on otak shallow blue collar

Inb4 duit vavi dare not collect.





Cover it in lard habislah have to use washing machine with laundry soap cucikan duit oh wait.

hope IRB goes after all these people

go back 20 years of undeclared income and confiscate all their assets

Fuk gao la all this vendor lari tax one i conflanfirm

Why ketard huruf ke 3 triggered with this news?

U ppl jelly?

It seems b40 in this country are jealous of t60, want everyone to live in b40 lives like communist state.


This post has been edited by icemanfx: Jun 7 2025, 07:19 PM

just like bazaar ramadan 1 day 7k sales from drinks

or roadside nasi lemak stall

got declare?

gen to gen , more and more dont cook, F&B rising strong