We’ve all heard the saying: “Enjoy now, worry later.” But what if the “later” doesn’t fall on you but on your children instead?
A Malaysian woman’s heartbreaking confession on Threads is now being seen as a cautionary tale about debt, responsibility, and the hidden price of living beyond one’s means.
The woman revealed that her father was once a government officer earning around RM8,000 a month.
Instead of building financial stability for his family, she claimed he took out maximum loans, spent lavishly, changed cars frequently, and lived comfortably mostly on his own.
Now retired, his monthly pension reportedly goes almost entirely toward paying off old debts. He has sold his car, emptied his savings, and even borrows his child’s vehicle to get around.
“If my mother hadn’t passed away, she would probably be struggling too, we wouldn’t even have a house,” she shared.
According to her, her late mother was the one who truly held the family together raising the children and paying for their home despite receiving little financial support from her husband.
While she admits feeling sympathy for her father at times, anger remains the stronger emotion.
His pension should be enough for a peaceful retirement. But because he was greedy when he was young and didn’t provide for us, I feel more resentful than sorry,” she wrote.
Her frustration peaked when she discovered that even her father’s Tabung Haji savings had run dry and that he had borrowed RM2,000 from her sibling’s PTPTN student loan.
“How am I supposed to appreciate him?” she asked. “I still respect him and that’s already more than enough.”
She ended her post with a blunt reflection that struck a chord with many online: “He spent his youth chasing luxury. Now he spends his old age paying for it. Poor, but fashionable.”
‘We’ve seen this too many times’
The post quickly resonated with Malaysians, especially young adults navigating financial independence while supporting ageing parents.
One commenter wrote, ‘Old generation mindset; get a government job, take loans, live lavishly. What kind of thinking is that?‘
Another shared: ‘I’ve met many parents like this. When young, they lived in luxury while their children struggled. Then in old age, the children become the ones carrying the burden. Filial piety matters, but children also have their own responsibilities. I hope our generation breaks this cycle.’
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