Basic necessity: The PAKW’s recommended minimum spending for food in Kuala Lumpur was at RM467 per person per month. The calculation was based on the Health Ministry food pyramid which determines the daily calories needed by a person. — Bernama
Cost of living calculator missing important variables, say users
PETALING JAYA: The calculator for cost of living needs more details to reflect actual expenses of each household, say some users.
Taxi driver Soaalingam AL Karuppiah, 62, who tried the new calculator for his family of three, said that the estimated cost of living for his family was too high.
“Both my wife and I can barely earn enough to reach that amount,” said Soaalingam, who is from Kuala Lumpur.
He said that most of his household expenses are on rent and food.
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“We have cut a lot of our expenses so that we can live every day,” he said.
He added that the government should fix wages first, as it has been very difficult to earn a decent living.
Tan, 58, who resides in Sentul, said that the calculator does not show if there are dependents who need medical care.
“I am caring for my 89-year-old mother, who needs medical care quite often.
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“What can this calculator tell me? For certain months, my expenses are hefty because I have to bring her to the private clinic for a checkup,” she said.
She added that she spends more on food, as her mother is on a special diet.
Another taxi driver, Noor Ahmad Che Jaffar, 49, said that the estimated amount is quite accurate for his household of four in the capital city.
However, he added that the calculator is too simple and needs more details.
“We have not included any commitment – what about loans for a car and motorcycle, as well as our road tax?” he said.
He said that although the calculations are similar to his monthly household expenses, he too does not earn enough to meet the expenses.
“Especially after Covid-19, we don’t earn enough to sustain our living expenses.
“We have been using our savings the past few years to survive,” he said, adding that his wife works at a private company and has only received a raise once in the past 15 years.
Human resources executive Rinnah Loh, 25, from Petaling Jaya, said that a more detailed breakdown on monthly expenses for housing, groceries and fuel is needed.
She said that her family of eight would need at least 80% more than the estimated amount.
“It is not clear how this calculator even estimated this amount,” she said.
Freelance writer Yanika Liew, 24, said that the calculator did not function properly.
“After filling up all the details, I could not see the final calculated amount, and I have tried it a few times,” she said.
However, she noted that the calculation based on districts is very vague.
“I believe the living costs in an area is different from someone living in the same district but in a different location.
“Even if the calculation takes an average of the total cost in an area, it is still vague” she said.
Yesterday, a newly-created cost of living index, Basic Expenses for Decent Living or Perbelanjaan Asas Kehidupan Wajar (PAKW), was launched as a guideline for the minimum amount needed each month to afford a decent living in each district nationwide.
The index comes with an online cost of living calculator known as MyPAKW which the public can access at https://mypakw.dosm.gov.my.
The calculator is accessible through the website. There are two language options – Bahasa Malaysia and English.
The calculator only requires two pieces of information: the total number of household members along with their ages and gender, as well as the area where the household is located.
The first question starts with asking for the total number of individuals in the household.
This is followed by selecting the state and district.
For most district options, there is a further category for city or rural areas.
However, for areas like Kuala Lumpur, Petaling and Putrajaya, only the ‘city’ option is available.
The next question asks to detail the age range and gender of the household members.
After that, one only has to press “calculate” to show the reasonable monthly basic expenses for the household.
The calculator aims to provide a general guideline for the public to check how much is needed for monthly expenses, based on the areas that they live in.
