of Richer and Rich (from a student's perspectives)

Before I proceed, let me guide some wondering souls here (if any) to the light by saying that this post is not about my next door friend called Richard.

I just had a leisure Friday read on economy. Yes, I actually read a bloody article on economy.

source

I so love what this Zahid guy is saying, I had to quote his conclusion line : "Yes we are proud of national corporates recording billions if ringgit in retained earnings every year, but we paid for it with an untold amount of sweat and tears through the erosion of our spending power."

Who said having a household income ranging from RM15k to RM20k is considered as rich these days? Yes, maybe we are richer than some, but that does not mean that we are so bloody rich. Mind you, with global (and national in particular) inflation rate soars higher than Apollo 15, people of this group are having a hard time living as well, although not as hard as the ones earning lesser of course. Good cars worth more than RM100k these days. Good houses worth several times more. No, I am not being selfish or greedy or egoistic. Just like most of us, I feel like I deserve better conditions of living. If having household monthly salary already make me ponder about how difficult it is to really live, people with monthly salary of RM5k or less are even more sad.

In Penang, not counting the lousy food served at my hostel, proper meal alone (by proper I mean rice with any kind of lean protein and veges and drinks) can cost up to RM7 or RM8 per meal, and obviously I can/do not eat once a day. I am sure most of us are the same. Oh, and I am not that kind of person who can starve myself everyday just for the sake of saving money or whatnot, so yeah I am not frugal when it comes to dining. Having said that, I basically spend approximate RM20 - RM25 for food each day, sometimes more. Times that by 30 days and voila, I spend approximately RM600 (or more) on eating proper meal each month. And let us not talk about the cost of everything else like accommodation and parking fees and books, shall we? Otherwise we'll be seeing a 20,000 words of essay in this post and I am sure as hell none of us (myself included) would be willing to read it.

Fresh graduates are hit the hardest I guess. With limited job vacancies (mostly in the government sector) all thanks to the extension of retirement age to 60, and the average monthly salary of RM2.2k - RM3k, good luck living comfortably in this capitalist world. Don't dream, just because the government won't accept you does not necessarily mean that the private sectors do. The ever lucrative yet risky private sectors lagilah require stricter and stronger qualifications and most than often they search for the creme de la creme of professionals.

Indeed, I can provide no solution for this since I am not some bald economists who spend hours and charts and statistics and God knows what algorithmic calculation they might be using.

But if the condition is getting worst, one thing that I am sure of - I will not hesitate to become a part of the brain drain like Farish Noor (ugh, I think I am comparing myself with such a highly regarded figure...). Of course you wouldn't know how he is such an important asset to whoever he's working for, he's a part of the brain drain. 

What is the point of being good (or the best) at what you're doing if what you receive isn't worth the exact same thing of what you achieve?

Well haters gonna hate me, but I'm just going to say it anyway. I don't really believe the notion of "you should serve your country bla bla bla..." as if it is our obligation to work for the government. Those who chose to be a part of the brain drain are slurred and considered as national heathens (to some people that I know). Then forgive me for saying that these people's intellect really has the size of a British teaspoon. If whoever that I am working for really loves to have me working for them, then provide me with proper beneficiaries.

It may sound like that I am materialistic, 

but who on earth works for a living for free?

And what did you know, after reading back what I've written, I think I just stated the obvious.

p/s: No, I am not inciting you to hate anyone or any political parties. This is just my two cents. So, SCRAM political zealots.