(Source: 123rf)
For many Malaysians, the struggle with rising costs and stagnant salaries is all too real. One 36-year-old recently took to the 八卦部门 Facebook page to share a brutally honest reflection of his life, and it struck a chord with netizens who feel they’re going through the same thing.
For him, life feels more like a constant test of survival. He admitted that despite having what looks like a decent life from the outside, deep down he feels hollow and trapped. He began his post with a heartbreaking line:
“I’m 36 this year, and I’ve started to wonder if I even count as ‘human’.”
He explained that he owns a Perodua Axia and a small condo unit. On paper, that doesn’t sound too bad. But to him, those are nothing more than shells that mask the emptiness within.
“It doesn’t sound bad, but over the years I’ve felt these are just things that make me look less pathetic. Inside, I’m actually an empty shell of a man.”
Despite being a car and house owner, he described the sacrifices he has to make just to get by.
“At night I don’t dare to turn on the air-conditioner. I only smoke the cheapest cigarettes. My only entertainment is scrolling on my phone. Honestly, I can’t even tell if I’m living or just existing.”
What’s left is only enough to stretch and survive until the next cycle begins
His salary hasn’t increased in years, while the cost of living keeps rising without mercy. Every payday feels like a momentary relief, but just 3 days later, his wallet is already drained, swallowed up by housing loans, car loans, bills, petrol, and groceries.
“My salary hasn’t increased for many years, but prices keep going higher every year. On payday, it feels like I can finally breathe again. But 3 days later, my pocket is empty once more. Housing loan, car loan, utilities, petrol, groceries… what’s left is just enough to scrape through until the next month.”
To make ends meet, he carefully calculates every expense. If lunch costs more today, dinner has to be cheaper. If petrol eats up more of his budget this week, then fewer groceries can be bought next week. Even weekends aren’t an escape, at most, he treats himself to a simple cup of kopi O at the local kopitiam.
“If I spend more on lunch today, dinner has to be cheaper. If petrol costs more this week, then next week I’ll buy fewer groceries. On weekends, I don’t dare to spend much, at most I’ll sit in a kopitiam for a cup of kopi O.”
The hardest part? Watching others live what looks like carefree lives
He often wonders how his peers can afford to travel overseas so frequently, as though money isn’t even a concern. Meanwhile, he switches off his phone and bends his head over his budget, calculating if he can afford both petrol and food for the day.
“Sometimes I really don’t understand, how can the people around me always travel abroad while I quietly calculate whether today’s petrol and dinner money is enough. It feels like living in 2 completely different worlds.”
The famous saying, “life is short, you should enjoy it while you can” doesn’t sit right with him.
“Some people are born right at the starting line of enjoyment. Others don’t even have a track to run on. We can only stand far away and watch.”
He ended his post by questioning if he had studied harder or chosen a better path earlier in life, maybe he could now enjoy occasional trips abroad, buy things he likes, and have more freedom in his choices. Instead, he feels caged in a tiny grid, watching time tick away slowly, powerless to change it.
His story paints a picture that many Malaysians can relate to. On the outside, a car and a condo might seem like stability. But behind closed doors, the reality for some is a constant cycle of budgeting, surviving, and wondering if things will ever change.
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