M’sian can’t afford to buy a house despite working in KL for 10 years, wonders if he should return to his kampung

There’s no easy way to put it — buying a house in the Klang Valley is a tall order, if not an outright impossible one for many ordinary Malaysians to achieve. With median prices now well over the RM400,000 mark for properties located in prime locations, many have been left wondering if they would ever be able to afford a place to call their own.

This has led one dismayed social media user to take to Twitter to air his grouses over the matter, wondering if it would still make sense to continue remaining in KL or to return back to his hometown.

M’sian can’t afford to buy a house of his own in KL despite working for 10 years

According to the user, who submitted his confession anonymously through @ConfessionsTweetMY, he explains that he moved into the big city upon graduating in 2014. As most who are looking for greener pastures and better opportunities in the metropolis of KL often do, he worked tirelessly for close to a decade, in hopes of building a life for himself here.

“By next year, I would have been here for ten years earning a living in KL. I can’t afford a house, my car is still on loan. my salary isn’t huge but it isn’t meager either, just alright. And I have to deal with the jam every day.

Over time, his despondency has led him to wonder if it would simply make more sense for him to just return back to his hometown and stay there instead, as opposed to wringing himself dry by toiling in Kuala Lumpur without anything to show for it. This is especially when one considers the lower cost of living in most rural parts of Malaysia.

“I’ve been thinking about it and even if I get a job that pays me about RM2,000 I can still live comfortably without any worries. Should I move back?”, he asked.

Following his all-too-relatable dilemma that almost every young Malaysian is currently facing, netizens decided to weigh in and offer their own pieces of advice.

While many have urged for him to think his decision through carefully, they also emphasise that he should put his mental health first and encourage him to make a choice that works best for him in the long run.

“I think you should head back. Even though the pay is RM2,000 but if you’re closer to family, being able to spend time with them is definitely a nice experience. The facilities may not be as great as KL but at least you wouldn’t have to deal with traffic jams.”

“This is a big decision. Before making the decision, evaluate yourself, your current skills, connections, goals, weaknesses, and options that you have. You’ve been working for close to a decade, is there any potential for you to get a raise and promotion?”

“If you can get a job that pays you RM2,000 at your hometown then why not? I think the problem with staying at your hometown is that the job opportunities are quite limited and the pay isn’t great. I think that’s why many people choose to move to the city instead.”

“This was what I faced 3 years ago. My pay was only RM1,600 back then and I was thinking of ways to earn more money because when you live in the city, the living costs are much higher. I then decided to leave all of that behind and use the experiences I gained to create my own freelance and start my own business. I think if you think it’s not worth it to continue working in the city, it’s not wrong to explore other opportunities.”

“You’re still young, you should do what you like. After all mental health matters more.”

“I think you should list your pros and cos. If the pay can match up with what you currently have and you don’t have to deal with traffic jams and be close to family, I don’t see why not. But if there’s no job opportunities available back at your hometown, I think you should just stay.”

What would your decision be, if you were in his shoes?

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Also read: M’sian complains about high living cost in KL after spending RM40 on breakfast, netizens tell him to learn budgeting