Perlis, most laid-back state, says Kangar MP

SHAH ALAM - Kangar MP Noor Amin Ahmad has expressed joy that Perlis was named in the top three happiest state in Malaysia.

This, he said was a great achievement for the small state.

“I am glad that Perlis was named one of the happiest state in the country.

“In my view, albeit a small state with growing economic opportunities, people in Perlis are relatively grateful and persevered,” he told Sinar Daily.

He said most of the people in the state were genuinely happy just by being around each other, describing the people of Perlis as ‘laid-back’.

This, he said could be seen through simple things like the way they drive in the state.

"People in Perlis would normally take their own sweet time, and are not always in a rush.

“As I dealt with many people, I find that the elderly chose to be more laid back as they want to enjoy life with their family and friends.

“They are quite generous too. The spirit of camaraderie is very much alive in village areas where we can see people joining hands to help with ‘gotong-royong’ and having feasts together,” he said.

However, he said there was still room for improvement as happiness is subjective and different for each person.

He said different groups of people in Perlis have different expectations and improvements they made to the state.

“I think for the young people, they are hoping that there are more job opportunities in their hometown so that they can be close to their families and friends.

“For those who just built a families, they have ambitions to provide the best education and exposure for their kids so that they would be able to experience a better life and exit the vicious cycle of poverty,” he said.

In addition, he shared that the state was unique in terms of infrastructure, where people in Perlis do not really aspire to have big and tall buildings, but to have more recreational facilities that are friendly to all.

He also said there was more that can be done for the state and that there were still many untapped resources that can be unleashed in Perlis.