style="text-transform: uppercase;">Kota Kinabalu: If you're single and earning below RM2,500 a month in the city, chances are, you may still not have enough to start saving. A survey carried out by Sabah Today on 250 Junior Chamber International Tanjung Aru members aged 25 to 40 published in the Sabah Quarterly Industry magazine (Oct-Dec 2014 issue), suggested that workers need to earn at least RM3,000 a month to afford the living cost here. The quarterly publication comes under the Industrial Development Ministry and had so far circulated more than 600,000 copies since 2009.

Anything below RM2,500, they would likely run into debts the survey indicated after running the analysis on 140 individuals earning around RM2,500 and 80 individuals within the RM3,000 bracket.

Commenting on the survey, Deputy Chief Minister cum Industrial Development Minister Datuk Raymond Tan found out that the salary levels of workers in the city are "very low", although the majority of bosses are actually doing "okay".

"They are not bankrupt and they are making money… so how much are they giving to their workers?"

Despite support from the government through technical support, grants, loans and ensuring the business climate in Sabah conducive for investments, Tan pointed out bosses are still not doing enough to improve the livelihood of workers.

Furthermore, the government also provided cheap medical services through government hospitals to ensure production of the around 40,000 companies here would not be affected.

"I'm sending a message to employers here that you have to pay them to maintain their lifestyle here in the city," he said.

Like Singaporeans, he said people in the republic rarely complain about their livelihood because of its high-income status despite the prices of goods being expensive as its economy is driven by natural market forces.

"Their economy is connected and supports each other to maintain the lifestyle of its people despite Singapore not being resource rich like Sabah. They have a strong services sector," he added. On the other hand, Malaysian businesses are going against natural forces and are supported by subsidies and other forms of aid from the government to keep the economy going.

The same advice goes to family-run businesses as Tan said they should also raise salaries and win their loyalty, so workers would work hard to ensure their company's remained sustainable.

Tan warned present salary levels would result in workers not being able to sustain their livelihood beyond retirement.

The survey took into account 11 spending habits namely, fuel cost, food, car loan, parking fees, public transportation, housing rental, housing loan, education loan repayment, telecommunication bills, utilities and entertainment.