HOW much does it cost a fresh graduate to own a car in Australia and in Malaysia?
On an average income of A$55,000 per year (RM155,375), a fresh graduate in Australia can easily buy a Honda Civic worth A$25,000 (RM70,625) with half a year of his salary.
When I first started to work as an assistant architect in the Kuala Lumpur Municipal Architect Department in the 1960s, earning RM628 per month, I was able to buy my first car, a Peugeot 404 which cost RM7,724 with one year of my salary. It was a big car, way too big for a fresh graduate! So it became my reliable companion for 14 years.