PETALING JAYA: Amir Mohd is an engineer and draws a salary of RM13,000.
However, with five mouths to feed and other expenses, he is only left with RM300 in the last 10 days of the month.
Yet, the 42-year-old is considered a wealthy person and falls in the T20 category.
The truth is, in Kuala Lumpur, he has to live paycheque-to-paycheque to get by.
“I am the sole breadwinner of my family. I have a wife and two children and an elderly father to care for. One of my children is a special needs child and my income does not qualify me for government schooling,” he said.
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“I have to fork out RM3,000-RM4,000 a month for my child with special needs who also requires therapy,” he said.
Amir also has to support his 75-year-old father, besides paying for house and car loans.
His wife is unable to take up a job due to caregiving duties for their son.
“On paper, I am rich and fall under the T20 category. But every month, after I pay off my commitments I barely have enough,” he said.
“The reality is: I am far from rich. The income classification does not make sense and does not reflect the realities of life.
“Let’s not forget that those in the so-called M40 and T20 groups are also taxpayers,” he said.
“In a city like Kuala Lumpur, anyone earning below RM10,000, especially if it is a single income household, should be classified as B40,” he added.
For a 45-year-old executive who only wanted to be known as Lim, the combined take home pay for him and his wife comes to about RM14,000, and therefore they are considered T20,
“But we have house loans, car loans, and children’s education to pay for. We also support our parents on both sides,” he said.
“By the end of the month, there is barely RM400 left and sometimes you have other expenses as well,” he said.
“I do not understand how we qualify to be in the rich category,” he added.
When those considered to be T20 are feeling the pinch, those categorised as middle income or M40 are worse off.
Content writer Mohd Tramizi, 34, said he and his wife have to fork out RM8,000 a month in their household of four.
They, too, do not qualify for government kindergarten because they are not considered poor. The kindergarten fee alone would cost RM500 a month.
“Maybe what we make would be enough in Muar but here in the Klang Valley, it isn’t,” he said.
Mohd Tramizi has a coffee business on the side. That income, he said, is used to pay for the children’s education alone.
“I cannot afford to go on holiday. What we make is only enough to pay for our expenses. If I were to go for a trip, I would have to save for several months,” he said.
