PUTRAJAYA: Cameron Highlands has been ranked as one of 10 happiest cities/districts in Malaysia, today.
Housing and Local Government Minister, Nga Kor Ming, said this was based on a study of happiness index across Malaysia by 144 local authorities.
Other cities/districts include Jeli, Jerantut, Kuala Terengganu, Kulai, Lenggong, Bandaraya Melaka, Petaling Jaya, Port Dickson and Rompin.
"Meanwhile, 102 cities (71 per cent) across Malaysia reached the 'happiness' status while 41 cities (29 per cent) reached 'moderate happiness' status.
"One of the main contributors to the well-being and prosperity of the population is the services provided by authorities, such as keeping the environment clean and managing waste properly," he said when met by reporters after the celebration of International Happiness Day today.
At the same time, Nga added that Malaysia's measurement of urban happiness index began in 2015 through the Malaysian Urban Rural National Indicators Network on Sustainable Development (MURNInets) system, in line with global happiness measurement.
He added that several aspects were also taken into account in the measurement, including level of life stress, health status, family relationships, and satisfaction with the facilities and service quality provided by local leaders.
Following this, he added that Malaysia Happiness Index has shown an increase of 5.7 points from five years ago, from 81.24 per cent in 2019 to 86.94 per cent in 2024.
"This indicates the well-being of our country's citizens is maintained through the services provided by local authorities and the provision of facilities contributing to a comfortable living environment and conducive conditions," he said.
The International Day of Happiness 2024 and MURNInets' happiness index align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), aiming to achieve prosperous, sustainable, and safe cities, alongside Malaysia's MADANI agenda.
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