MELAKA: The Melaka PKR Leadership Council has urged the state government to pay serious attention to three key components in the Malaysian Happiness Index (MHI) 2024 report that recorded a moderate score.
State PKR chairman Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said the report released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) calls for immediate focus on improving several aspects that reflect the people’s quality of life.
“The first is household income, where the score was only 5.75, categorised as moderately happy and the lowest compared to other components.
I hope that in the upcoming state budget, emphasis will be placed on initiatives to raise income, skills training and the creation of new job opportunities, including in the green technology sector,” he said.
He was speaking at a press conference after announcing the new leadership line-up of the Melaka PKR leadership for the 2025–2028 term at the Madani Office in Bukit Piatu on Wednesday (Sept 17).
Shamsul Iskandar, who is also the Senior Political Secretary to the Prime Minister, noted that the cultural component of the MHI scored only 6.86 points, despite the historic city being renowned as a tourist attraction and rich in heritage.
"This cultural component must be given proper focus because it shows that public participation in arts, culture and heritage activities is still lacking, either due to limited exposure or fewer attractions.
In addition, the emotional well-being of locals also deserves attention, as the score was only 6.59 points, indicating that the level of mental happiness remains low,” he said.
Shamsul Iskandar added that improvements could be achieved through implementing community counselling programmes, stress awareness campaigns and expanding public recreational spaces to ensure a balanced lifestyle.
