HOW does a family with a household income of less than RM3,000 per month spend their money? MALAY MAIL spoke to three families who fall under the “urban poor” category, and based on their expenditure breakdown, it appears that they have barely enough to survive the high cost of living in the city.

MIKE LIEW works as a technician for an electronics appliances store in Subang and earns a monthly salary of RM1,800. The 28-year-old is the sole breadwinner for his family — consisting of his wife, a housewife, and a one-year-old baby.