Malaysians are money-obsessed but I can't blame them

AUGUST 23 — I left a group on Facebook the other day.

There was no drama around it. I was just really tired that a group meant to be a place for the Malaysian doll collector community had become little more than a “for sale” billboard.

I respect the hustle culture as inflation sucks and people are just doing their best to make more income on the side, but it has made the internet landscape tiresome.

Take, for instance, Shopee’s affiliate programme.

Just to earn money via the programme, Malaysians are playing the clickbait route on social media, making controversial posts just so people would click on their affiliate links.

On TikTok and Instagram, influencers flood my feed (whether I like it or not) with food reviews that are more like paid or “hoping to get paid” posts.

I don’t trust some of the bigger names (that I won’t mention) because I know their food reviews cannot be taken seriously as they jump through hoops to avoid angering the benefactors of their free meals.

It made me sad reading a review on a local duck rice place: “I went here because so-and-so made it look delicious. But the meat is dry and tough.”

Shame on these so-called influencer reviewers, honestly.

I do know that when these reviewers come to paid review sessions that they do not actually get to experience what the food or atmosphere is like on an ordinary day.

The only reviews I actually trust are the ones where people pay for their own meals and don’t announce their presence.

Of course, you have to make allowances for bad days — too big a crowd, mishaps in the kitchen, power cuts and the like.

At the same time, though, paid food reviews should just be treated as advertisements and shouldn’t be taken seriously by anyone with any sense.

The thing is I also understand that with the economy and our rather limited market, when compared to Indonesia or Thailand, it’s harder to earn side income.

It doesn’t help that rather than address stagnant wages and income inequity, the government’s approach is to suggest people sell food with vending machines or say they will “ask nicely” that developers make cheaper houses and employers pay more.

Having once juggled multiple gigs paying off debts incurred trying to help my single mother as we were a seven-children household, I understand just what it’s like always worrying when or if more money is coming.

It doesn’t help that there are just so many expenses that Malaysians can’t run away from.

Just to earn money via the programme, Malaysians are playing the clickbait route on social media, making controversial posts just so people would click on their affiliate links.  ― AFP pic

Too many people can’t rely on public transportation to go to work and can’t pony up money to buy a secondhand car with cash. Thus many people are saddled with car loans they can barely afford and pay more interest on longer loans, just to lower their monthly repayment.

Race discrimination means renting can be a struggle, especially if you’re the “wrong” race so it’s not the cheapest room you can get, but the cheapest room you can get from someone willing to let you stay.

Having experienced a life of desperation I really don’t want that to be the norm.

Malaysians shouldn’t have to struggle so much just to get their basics covered. It isn’t wrong, either, for people to wish for nice things.

I think that might be why those who suddenly get access to large sums of money, ill-begotten or no, go a little mad.

We’ve read all the stories of officials having their homes raided and finding stashes of cash, rooms full of expensive handbags, garages with multiple luxury vehicles parked.

You get greedy when you’ve been starving so long.

Desire and greed are powerful motivations, and it’s just a pity that in Malaysia they get twisted to either annoying or terrible ends.

This is the personal opinion of the columnist.