What’s not to like with slow pace of life, beautiful beaches and cheap food

KUALA LUMPUR: What makes Kuala Terengganu, Petaling Jaya and Manjung a much sought after destination for a happy lifestyle?

If you ask the people of Kuala Terengganu, the answer would be the relaxed pace of life and gradual modernisation.

Residents of the Terengganu capital, which for so long has bore an image of “village within a city”, are more than happy with the ways things are.

With the exception of a shortage of parking bays, the people in the state capital seem to be contented with everything else.

Kuala Terengganu was singled out as among the 10 townships as having the highest “happiness level”, based on the 2018 National Happiness Index Study.

The others are Petaling Jaya in Selangor, Manjung and Batu Gajah in Perak, Bentong in Pahang, Jasin in Melaka, Jeli in Kelantan, Segamat in Johor and Padang Terap and Bandar Baharu in Kedah.

Anida Mohamad @ Abdul Ghani, 44, from Seberang Takir, works in Kuala Terengganu and believes it is unlike any other state capital in Malaysia.

“We love the slow pace of development and with hindsight, the local authorities have ensured that modernisation does not make the people unhappy.

“This is a livable place. Tourists and local folk enjoy discovering the city at their own pace. We have many eateries and traditional attractions not found anywhere else. We have a clean beachfront that is well-maintained.

“Nights in Kuala Terengganu are the best time for family gatherings.

“Restaurants dishing out traditional Terengganu food are everywhere and one will be spoilt for choice. The prices are reasonable even for fresh seafood,” she said.

Ahmad Kamal Ariffin Daud, 36, from Kampung Sungai Rengas, likes the city’s slow pace of transformation.

“I want this atmosphere to remain. No smog from industries. The crime rate is also low here. The slow pace of development is most welcomed.

“The government also takes into account the people’s need for recreation. Kuala Terengganu has many such venues for family gatherings and sports, which encourages the people to lead a healthy lifestyle,” said the father of one.

The Selangor government believes its emphasis on placing the interest and wellbeing of the people first is what made Petaling Jaya one of Malaysia’s happiest cities.

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said the Petaling Jaya City Council’s success could be attributed to numerous holistic rakyat-centric services and providing a conducive environment for residents.

“T h e p r ogrammes include free transport, which is the PJ Free City Bus. It doubles up as a form of transport for students of 25 schools.

“This is the type of assistance we provide to the people, and with the council’s consistent and sustainable income, we are able to add value to our services and alleviate the people’s burden.

“We created facilities for the people, including parks, which contributed to the happiness of the people of PJ. Whatever advantage we have, we will turn it into something beneficial for the people.”

He said Petaling Jaya’s proximity to Kuala Lumpur had also contributed to its success, adding that Petaling Jaya would do more for the people, such as coming up with crime prevention and traffic dispersal programmes, opening a Smart Selangor command centre and collaborating with Bandung as its sister city.

Up north, the people of Manjung, Perak, believe that its location and relatively low cost of living make the township among the most livable in the country.

The district is known for its Pulau Pangkor, a tourist attraction, which is also the home of the Royal Malaysian Navy’s Lumut naval base and dockyard.

Manjung Municipal Council president Syamsul Hazeman Md Salleh said he was happy at the recognition, which, he said, was the result of the hard work of the community and agencies.

“The council works hard to make Manjung a happy place to visit and live in. We have everything in Manjung.

“I believe Manjung is the second busiest district in Perak after Kinta district. Yet, it isn’t as congested like Ipoh.”

He said Manjung, also known as a “navy city”, was the preferred place to retire for many navy personnel.

“We can see a number of retired navy personnal buying properties and living here,” he said.

Syamsul Hazeman said the low cost of living had made Manjung one of the best places to live in.

“Visitors love to come here due to the low cost of living. They don’t feel pressured and are not worried about traffic congestion although Manjung is developing rapidly. I believe people can feel the balance,” he said.

On future plans, he said, following federal approval to make Pangkor Island a duty-free island, the council had started to beautify and improve the facilities.

“We expect to receive a large number of tourists. People still go to the mainland and Lumut and these will have an impact on Manjung.

“As such, we need to have a plan to maintain the recognition, as well as improve the district.

“Regardless of our social standings, we are all alike. We all want better living conditions, better health services, improved economic and education opportunities to make us happy,” he said.

Tourists and local folk enjoy discovering the city at their own pace. We have many eateries and traditional attractions... We have a clean beachfront that is well-maintained. ANIDA MOHAMAD @ ABDUL GHANI

Kuala Terengganu