YOU’VE probably seen the news: the Department of Statistics Malaysia has named 10 “happiest towns” for 2026 (“Simpang Renggam, Dabong, Raub listed among happiest towns in M’sia”, The Star, April 7; online at bit.ly/star_happytown). Smaller towns made the list, and it’s nice to see them getting a share of the spotlight. And honestly, it makes me feel a bit proud.
But it also got me thinking: Can happiness really be measured so neatly? And even if it can, how much should we trust that number?
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