SHAH ALAM - People in Negeri Sembilan tend to live a more carefree and happy life due to the state's strategic location and its laid back nature, said Seremban MP Anthony Loke Siew Fook.
Loke said as Negeri Sembilan primarily consists of small towns, the state does not face major urban problems such as traffic jams or overcrowding, to name a few.
"The pressure of living in this state is not as high as in other bigger states or cities in Malaysia.
"The cost of living is relatively lower, fewer traffic jams, distances between home and workplace are near and there is work-life balance for the people here,” he told Sinar Daily.
He said that this contributed to a laid back life for the people in Negeri Sembilan and also the state capital, Seremban since that is the nature of small cities and towns with less congestion and a comfortable environment where people know each other well.
When asked about what makes Negeri Sembilan special, he said the state is located in a very strategic location, being near the capital of Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley.
"Because of this strategic location, we can have the best of both bustling city life in Kuala Lumpur and the serenity of our neighbourhood within an hour's drive.
"And if we want a weekend escape, we can always go to the coastal town of Port Dickson,” he added.
According to Loke, he is glad that Negeri Sembilan was listed as the happiest state since it shows that the state provides a good quality of life to its residents.
He expressed his hope that the local councils will continue to provide good services to the public, especially Seremban which was just elevated to city status two years ago, hence there is a need for them to keep improving their basic infrastructure and amenities.
This follows after the Happiness Index Survey 2021 conducted by the Town and Country Planning Department (PLANMalaysia) has listed Negeri Sembilan, Malacca and Perlis as the top 3 happiest states in Malaysia for 2021.
The survey gauged 41,000 people from selected districts under 114 local councils (PBT) where they were asked about the quality of service from their respective PBT and 80 PBT, including the three states, scored over 80 per cent from the survey.