NUR NADIAH makes RM2,400 gross a month – about the median Malaysian salary – and like the average Malaysian, she struggles to make ends meet. Salaries in urban areas were found to be higher at RM2,415 (median) and RM3,274 (mean) compared to those in rural areas where salaries are at RM1,481 (median) and RM2,083 (mean). The annual Salaries & Wages Survey is conducted nationwide to collect information on monthly salaries and wages from the principal occupations of paid employees, who are defined as someone who works for at least six hours a day or at least 20 days a month. To compare salaries and expenditure, we can look to the 2018 Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) policy report, The Living Wage: Beyond Making Ends Meet. Putting wages into perspectiveAccording to the DOSM report, the median and mean monthly salaries and wages of paid employees increased 6.6% and 7.0% respectively this year.

Source: The Star November 02, 2019 22:52 UTC