FORMER and present Penang backbenchers are dismayed that none of the state's districts made it into the “Top 20 Happiest Cities in Malaysia for 2025” which was under the purview of the Housing and Local Government Ministry with all pointing out the notorious traffic volume as a key reason.
Former Batu Uban assemblyman S. Raveentharan was critical of the state's omission from the top 20 listing, citing that the traffic congestion is growing bad to worse with no solution in sight.
While tourists make a beeline to the state, Raveentharan lamented that local residents are struggling to meet appointments, adding that it is now best to convene online meetings rather than in person due to the traffic.
He said local authorities need to improve their delivery system to meet the expectations of ratepayers while campaigns to use public transport should also be heightened.
His counterpart - Balik Pulau MP Datuk Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik said that the traffic is overwhelming due to the narrow roads and the surge when the peak travel period comes.
Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid also reacted saying other places should also be given a chance in an apparent reference to the state's recognition by various rating groups for its governance, economic and environmental management.
"Penang selalu (always) bahagia (happy)," said Syerleena.
The state is now taking steps to address the issue at the micro level with the rolling out of the van ride sharing services by public stage bus provider - Rapid Penang, raising of public parking charges and plans to impose a limit on car parking hours along congested stretches.
While the long-term outlook, is the completion of the three major highway bypasses to ease congestion in the northern part of the island with new roads linking Air Itam and Gurney Drive to the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway, while a new road from Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang.
The major effort to alleviate the congestion is the light rail transit (LRT) system, where construction will be underway despite objections from civil society on the possibility of wastage due to a limit in ridership and ecological threats.
State executive councillor Zairil Khir Johari, in a text reply, wondered what was the criteria applied in coming up with the happiest city in the country.
According to the Housing and Local Government ministry, the Malaysia Happiness Index has risen to 88.84% this year, up from 83.34% in 2020.
The assessment involved 153 local authorities across the nation, with 75% of towns achieving a ‘Happy’ status and the remaining 25% classified as ‘Moderately Happy’.
Minister, Nga Kor Ming was reported as saying that the criteria align with the international happiness index, which focuses on aspects such as stress levels, health, family relationships, and satisfaction with community services.
However, it was also reported that the lack of detailed information regarding the weighting of these factors and the specific data collection process has further fuelled public scepticism. - March 23, 2025.
