Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
One of the latest things Twitterjaya has been discussing is the local influencer and model Tasnim Shah. She was in the limelight recently thanks to a series of tweets from food reviewer Ceddy.
She apparently claimed that despite her lavish and luxurious lifestyle she actually came from a B40 background. Netizens retorted by attaching screenshots of her social media posts and saying that she wasn’t even T20, but T1.
The T20 group, depending on how you look at it, average a monthly income of about RM11,000 upwards. It’s not as much as you think. Although labelled as the top 20% in terms of earning, it doesn’t actually look like that much money.
So what is the difference between the T1 and T20?
1. Houses
Bungalow, the enclave (bangsar) – rm12 mil
T20 people will own at least one house. Maybe even 2 or 3 houses in total. Their houses tend to be within the country.
T1 people, on the other hand, may have multiple houses and even houses overseas. I remember a rich Malaysian guy I know whose parents owned houses and land in Europe.
The children of T1 families often get to settle overseas very easily. You don’t really see them living in Malaysia unless they’re trying to make it big in an industry here (like music, for example).
2. Career
Yen kuok, daughter of robert kuok
T20 people have a bit of a leg up compared to those in lower income groups. With family connections and a solid education, many have no difficulty landing well-paying jobs. And if they don’t, it’s okay, because mum and dad will help with the expenses while they chase their dreams.
T1 people get to pursue their passions too, but to a larger degree. Loads go on to influencer type “jobs”, and some don’t even have to work! Despite having prestigious degrees, there are those who do not do a day of work. They already benefit from intergenerational wealth in a way we cannot imagine – a job is completely unnecessary when you’re really that rich.
The biggest difference between these two groups is that those with a T20 background still have to work. And even though some belonging to the T1 socioeconomic class do choose to work, they still have a massive safety net to fall back on. Many have the ability to start their own businesses, thanks to the financial backing of wealthy parents.
A good example of this is what happened with Noor Azri Azerai, who became a director of 4 listed companies by the age of 23.
3. Cars
Muhammad shafieq shazwan zamros
A T20 household may have a Mercedes or BMW car, or something similar. Maybe even two of them.
But a T1 household has multiple luxury and/or foreign cars. I know a multimillionaire household that has a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Bentley and so on. They even have an underground basement parking lot under their mansion just for all of their cars. And no, it wasn’t a big family – only the parents live in Malaysia. Their children do not live with them as they are all settled overseas.
4. Holidays
Source: @nabilfikran10 (twitter)
T20 families do have luxurious holidays to far-flung places, but maybe only once or twice a year. They also usually fly economy. No doubt, this is still more than most families, but again it is nothing in comparison to the T1.
Those of the T1 status are able to go on holidays at the drop of a hat – anytime they want, anywhere they wish. They even get to fly first class most of the time!
5. Legal connections
Source: @jnmalaysia (twitter)
We have very strict laws here in Malaysia. Most of them are very punitive, focusing on prevention.
The T20 are still subject to these laws despite their comparative wealth. There was this guy I knew who was part of the T20. He was caught with a very small amount of marijuana and ended up going to court over it. He was unable to dodge the consequences of what happened to him. The bribe demanded of him (RM50,000) was beyond what his family could afford.
On the other hand, the T1 live completely different lives. Remember the case of Vincent Tan’s son? He was caught with very large amounts of marijuana (>50 trees) – yet charges were dropped against him.
This case can be contrasted against what happened to Yasin Sulaiman, who was recently charged in court for owning 17 plants.
What’s with really rich people cosplaying poverty?
Source: @deenkhal (twitter)
There’s a huge difference that you can see between those who built up their wealth through actual hard work and sound investments and then those who have so much wealth that not even multiple generations can spend it all.
Yet, for some reason, the wealthy love to downplay how much their wealth affected their success – instead they prefer to talk about the struggles and hardships they may have faced.
But being wealthy sets you worlds apart from the ordinary Malaysian citizen. Being privileged from birth gives you a massive head start when it comes to anything you wish to do. Rich people love to pretend that they’re relatable… but they’re not!
I guess that’s something they don’t want to acknowledge huh?
For more stories like this, read: Malaysia’s Rich Kids – From Weekly Allowances Larger Than The Minimum Wage To Young CEOs, Malaysian Income Inequality Is Getting Worse – What You Need To Know, and You’re Not Rich Even If You Studied Overseas – The Brutal Truth About Malaysia’s REAL Rich.
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