The article discusses the issue of low wages in Malaysia and its impact on the affordability of basic necessities. It highlights a study that reveals Malaysians have to work significantly longer than their counterparts in wealthier nations to afford the same food items. For example, Malaysians work 58 minutes for 1 litre of milk, while the Dutch work only 4 minutes. The article attributes this to low minimum wages, rising cost of living and reliance on cheap, unhealthy foods. It suggests policy solutions such as automatic minimum wage adjustments, expanded food assistance programmes, and stronger labour policies to bridge the gap and ensure fair wages.
"According to a study by Universiti Malaya’s Social Wellbeing Research Centre, the affordability crisis isn’t about expensive groceries—it’s about a pay gap so severe that Malaysians must work up to ten times longer than their counterparts in wealthier nations just to afford the same food.
The report titled “Food Affordability in Malaysia: When Markets and Money Decide What to Eat” by Amjad Rabi and Norma Mansor notes how Malaysia’s minimum wage system has lacked an automatic adjustment mechanism, leading to
stagnant real wages that often fail to keep pace with inflation and economic growth."