(Source: 123rf)
Ever wondered how the weight of tradition and rising costs can quietly bury you in stress Well buckle up, because this story hits hard and cuts deep
A Malaysian man took to Reddit recently, opening up about a burden many nod along to but few dare to voice. He confessed that for the past 20 years he has been supporting his parents financially and damn it, he is just tired! What began as a modest RM500 allowance when he first entered the workforce has now ballooned to RM2,000 a month. And now he finds himself stuck in a loop he cannot break.
He emphasised that he had never been a burden to them, having completed matriculation and gone through public university on a full scholarship. Yet he has not just been sending money home, he also bought a car for them, and is still servicing a housing loan with a decade left on the clock.
As his words went live, the comment section ignited. Netizens poured out stories of similar uphill battles. One shared that their in-laws were getting RM6,000 a month, with a BMW thrown in too, yet it was never enough. Another described how a family paid RM500 a day on traditional medication that only made things worse, swelling to RM5,000 in just two weeks. Many began to call it what it is… financial abuse of filial piety.
Asian culture puts care for parents on a pedestal, but a growing chorus of commenters urged a real talk, encouraging adult children to draw boundaries and stop letting cultural expectations sacrifice their own wellbeing.
This isn’t just one man’s frustration, it is a mirror to a wider struggle that quietly haunts households across the nation.