00:00More salary? Less food on the table?
00:02Your salary went up, but somehow you can afford fewer nasi lemak.
00:07Wait, make it make sense.
00:09Between 2019 and 2025, Malaysia's median monthly weight rose 20%
00:15from RM2,442 to RM2,940.
00:21Sounds good, right?
00:23But here's the catch.
00:24The average price of nasi lemak jumped 32% from RM2,80 to RM3,70.
00:31So, imagine spending your entire salary on nasi lemak.
00:35In 2019, you could buy 869 plates.
00:39In 2025, just 795.
00:43That's 74 plates gone.
00:46Of course, nobody's spending their entire paycheck on nasi lemak.
00:50But it shows how prices are outpacing our salaries.
00:54And Bank Negar's figures tell a similar story.
00:58Between 2019 and 2024, overall prices rose 9.3% while wages grew just 7.2%.
01:07The central bank says Malaysians are having to work longer just to afford their usual food expenses.
01:14So, why aren't salaries keeping up?
01:16Economists point to businesses struggling to raise wages, challenging job market conditions and food supply disruptions.
01:25BNM says longer-term solutions include creating more high-paying jobs and improving education and skills training.
01:33Because ultimately, it's not just about earning more.
01:37It's about making every ringgit go further.
01:40And hopefully, our salaries can finally catch up with our appetites.
