27th October 2026 - 4 min read
About 1 in 3 respondents (35%) to the RinggitPlus Malaysian Financial Literacy Survey (RMFLS) 2026 borrowed or used credit for food, household bills, or medical costs in the past 12 months. That’s the first clue in the case of the missing salary, which arrives on payday and sometimes runs out before the month does.
We asked 3,005 respondents how they cope when their income doesn’t cover their commitments. The trail below runs through spending, borrowing, and side work, and ends with ways to close the case before the next payday.
The first clue lies in what happens to the salary before it runs out. More than half of respondents (52%) spend exactly what they earn or more, including 18% who spend more than they earn.
Another clue is in savings, with 1 in 5 respondents (20%) saving nothing in a month. That leaves little room for an unexpected expense before the next payday.
In a month when their income didn’t cover their commitments, 43% of respondents said they used their savings. Buy Now Pay Later came next at 23%, followed by borrowing from family or friends at 22%.
The responses below show what people said they did when money ran short, although some may have described what they would do instead. Respondents could select more than one option.
| Who They Called | What It Means | Share Of Respondents |
| The Tabung | Used their savings | 43% |
| The Pay-Later Pal | Used Buy Now Pay Later | 23% |
| The Family Hotline | Borrowed from family or friends | 22% |
| The EPF Withdrawal | Withdrew from Akaun Fleksibel | 17% |
| The Card Already In The Wallet | Used a credit card they already had | 16% |
| The Pawn Shop | Pawned something (pajak gadai) | 11% |
| The Bill That Can Wait | Delayed or skipped a loan or bill payment | 10% |
The case takes a darker turn. 6% of respondents said they went without food, medicine or medical care they needed.
Groceries or food was the most common reason for borrowing, cited by 35.8% of borrowers. Phones and appliances came next, followed by household bills such as utilities and fuel. But the trail doesn’t end with everyday purchases: about 1 in 4 borrowers (25.6%) also borrowed to repay another debt.
That makes the missing salary harder to explain with one simple answer. Money may be going towards essentials, purchases, and existing repayments at the same time.
More than half of people with a main job (56%) also earn from other paid work, which we call side work here. It’s most often a small business or online selling, part-time work, or freelance jobs.
For about 1 in 5 of them (22%), side work is what covers their commitments. Another 48% say they could manage without it, but it would be tight. In other words, the extra income may be helping people stay afloat rather than getting them ahead.
So, who took the salary? The evidence doesn’t point to one culprit. Some respondents turned to savings, others borrowed from family, used Buy Now Pay Later or withdrew from EPF. And with many borrowing for essentials or repaying existing debts, the problem isn’t always as simple as spending too much.
To start your own investigation, open your last bank statement and sort every transaction into food, transport, bills, and everything else. See which category takes the biggest share of your salary and whether anything in it can be cut.
The next clue is your safety net. Savings were the most common response at 43%, so even RM500 in an emergency fund gives you something to use before you turn to credit.
Buy Now Pay Later got 23% of the calls. Late fees and credit reporting can differ between providers, so check the terms before you tap pay later.
Family made the call list too, at 22%. If you borrow from someone close to you, agree on the amount and the repayment date first. It saves an awkward conversation at the next open house.
EPF withdrawals came in at 17%. Akaun Fleksibel can be withdrawn at any time but it’s still retirement money, and every ringgit taken out stops growing. Before you withdraw, the RinggitPlus retirement calculator shows how your EPF savings could look at your planned retirement age.
Case closed, at least until the next payday.
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The RinggitPlus Malaysian Financial Literacy Survey 2026 polled 3,005 respondents aged 18 and above online and unweighted, in English, Bahasa Malaysia, and Chinese, with fieldwork from 28 September to 11 October 2026. Percentages are based on all respondents unless stated, multiple-response percentages may add to more than 100%, and totals may differ because of rounding.
The survey was sponsored by GXBank, which proposed some of its questions. RinggitPlus earns commission or fees when consumers apply for financial products, including loans, credit cards, and insurance.
Iman writes about personal finance with curiosity. She is interested in the stories behind money, the hesitation around big decisions, and the small habits that shape financial futures. Off the clock, she is either dissecting a film or climbing her way up the leaderboard in her favourite games.
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