CAN A FAMILY MAN WITH SALARY RM3,000 SURVIVE IN MALAYSIA

Let ' s do some simple calculations here.

In Malaysia , the average family income is RM3,000/month (where father works, mother doesn ' t).

I understand there are many families whose monthly income does not reach RM3,000, but, to make things simple, let ' s take RM3,000 as the figure. Ok lah, right?

Okay, let ' s start rolling with a family which has Papa, Mama, 1 daughter and 1 son. Ngam-ngam.....

Calculation starts...

Electricity and water bill: RM100 (No air-con, No home theatre, No water heater ... ok?)

Phone bill ( Telekom): RM100

Meals for a happy family: RM775 (3 meals on RM25/day, RM25 for 4 persons...?)

Papa makan / teh-tarik during working hrs: RM155 (RM5/day, RM5 ... can eat what?)

Car repayment: RM400 (A proton saga aeroback, 7 yrs repayment)

Petrol (living in city, traffic-jam): RM300 (go to work, bring son to school, only can afford one car running)

Insurance: RM650 (kids, wife and myself)

House repayment: RM750 (low cost housing repayment for 30 yrs, retired still have to work to pay!)

Tuition: RM80 (got that cheap meh? i don ' t think so)

Older children pocket money @ school: RM20 (RM1/day, eat bread?)

School fees: RM30 (enough ah?)

School books and etc: RM100 (always got extra to pay in school)

Younger children milk powder: RM50 (cannot have the DHA, BHA, PHA one, expensive)

Miscellaneous: RM100 (shampoo, rice, sauce, toilet paper)

Oh wait!!! I have to stop here, so...

No Astro, no movie @ cinema, no DVD, no CD, no online, cannot KFC, cannot McDonald, cannot go Park walk during weekend (petrol expensive), no chit chat on phone with grandparents, and etc...

Let ' s use a calculator to total up... WALAO EH! Shit! RM3,610 already...

EPF belum potong, income tax lagi........oledi RM3,610 ...

How to survive lah tuan-tuan dan puan-puan sekalian ???

Our Deputy Prime Minister asked us to change lifestyle?

How to change? Don ' t eat? Don ' t work? Don ' t send children to school and study?

Besides that, I believe in Malaysia population, there are millions of rakyat Malaysia which still don 't earn RM3,000/month!!!

What is this? Inilah Malaysia Boleh... Sorry... it should be Malaysians Boleh , because we ' re still alive and kicking!!

Our politicians must be mad!!!!

Please forward and comment boleh or tak boleh. No wonder so many Ah Loong around..

Contributed by

Fatimah Mohamed Account Payroll TS HI-TECH SEAT SDN.BHD. Lot 6695, Batu 7, Jalan Kebun, 42450 Klang, Selangor Tel : 03-5161 2922 ext 131

PUBLIC SPEAKING TIPS

§ Your audience is there to hear your message. Relax and deliver that message, instead of focusing on yourself.

§ Make sure that your speech is right for your audience. What was great for a youth group probably won’t fly at a Rotary function. Encourage adults to take responsibility and set good examples and encourage the young people to take responsibility for their future.

§ Take your time. Don’t read your speech word-for-word and don’t rush through it. Be conversational, as if you were talking with a group of friends.

§ Don’t stand up there like a stick, clenching the podium at both sides. Be natural and animated. Use hand gestures, drink water, move around a little. But don’t rock back and forth — that conveys nervousness.

§ Keep it short and simple. The appropriate length varies according to the setting, but be aware of your audience’s attention span. Sometimes “less is more.”

§ Make eye contact with the audience. Connect with them. Get them to nod their heads to acknowledge what you’re saying. Make them pay attention to you.

§ Practice your speech ahead of time. Take time to pause in the right places to make eye contact and catch your breath. You may want to mark your speech where you want to pause. Let your commitment show.

§ Take questions and answers when you’re finished.

§ Don’t get into a debate if someone disagrees. Talk with him/her after your speech.

§ Have fun with it! Ethics doesn’t have to be boring. Share a relevant personal anecdote or two. Remember . . . it’s your character that counts!

Study Tips

• Study in a quiet place (no phones, TV, music, etc.)

• Review your syllabus regularly.

• Prepare for the lecture BEFORE class so the information is familiar to you. Question what you are reading.

• Review and reorganize the day's lecture notes before going to sleep.

• Summarize chapters by writing a paragraph or two on the key points.

• Do the work even if you do not receive credit for it.

• Divide large assignments into smaller segments and make a progress chart, recording when you finish a part of the assignment.

• Don't just memorize...be active in the learning process. Think deeply and critically. Make connections, ask yourself questions and apply concepts to problems. This is helpful to do with study partners.

• Ask yourself what might be on the exam. Close your book and try to create and solve problems utilizing what you have learned.

• It is important to master the material--you may think that you understand, but the challenge of an exam is to be able to transmit what you know.

• Visit your lecturers during office hours. Prepare your questions ahead of time.

• Track your performance on assignments and exams so there are no surprises at the end of the term.

• Ask for help when you need it--there are MANY support services on campus.