What makes a town a happy place to call home?

Ask people what makes a good place to live, and the answers may have surprisingly little to do with gleaming towers or enormous shopping centres.

In Mersing, happiness might look more like an evening by the sea, neighbours who know one another, a fishing trip with relatives or simply getting from one end of town to the other without sitting in traffic.

The coastal district was recently named one of Malaysia’s 10 happiest towns for 2026, alongside fellow Johor towns Kluang and Simpang Renggam. All three offer rather different versions of what a comfortable life can look like.

For Mersing resident Deiah Idris, 67, much of it comes down to family and familiarity. “I am happy because my family lives nearby, and many of my neighbours are also relatives,” she told Bernama.

“We often rent boats and go island-hopping together. It is really enjoyable.”

That easy connection between community and surroundings runs through much of life in Mersing, where fishing boats, the jetty and visitors heading to nearby islands are part of the everyday landscape.

The district is a gateway to islands including Pulau Aur, Pulau Tinggi, Pulau Besar, Pulau Pemanggil and Pulau Sibu, as well as Pulau Tioman in neighbouring Pahang.

Its location also gives Mersing an east-coast flavour reflected in local speech and food such as nasi dagang, keropok lekor and satar. Evenings can be spent playing dam soksek, a traditional board game similar to dam haji, or simply enjoying the coastline with family and friends.

Keeping the slower pace

District council president Abdul Karim Bakar believes Mersing does not need to chase every form of development to remain appealing.

“For some people, happiness means having shopping malls and entertainment, but we want to keep Mersing as it is so that people have the option of coming here to enjoy a peaceful atmosphere surrounded by nature,” he said.

Tourism is important, but locals are conscious of keeping it in proportion. Mersing Tourism Association secretary Ahmad Firdaus Shaik Omar said the district favours gradual growth rather than mass tourism that could put pressure on its beaches, islands and marine environment.

The attraction is easy to understand. Visitors come for island-hopping, snorkelling, diving and beaches, while the district’s marine and national parks add to its appeal for nature lovers.

Tourists do not necessarily see Mersing through rose-tinted glasses, either. Dutch visitor Jantine De Jong, 35, enjoyed the food and scenery on her second visit but felt the area around the jetty could offer more to do at night.

That tension may be part of Mersing’s challenge: adding enough to make life and travel more convenient without erasing the quietness people value in the first place.

Long-time residents Mohd Yassin Lazim, 72, and Zainab Abu Bakar, 73, seem happy with the balance they have found after more than two decades in their village.

“We feel comfortable because the village is peaceful and harmonious, and everyone is a good neighbour,” Yassin said.

Kluang and Simpang Renggam offer another version of the same idea. There, residents’ quality of life is supported more visibly by public amenities, recreational spaces, employment opportunities and the ability to get around without the pressures associated with much larger cities.

Kluang district officer Azurawati Wahid said a less congested lifestyle and better balance between work and personal time can contribute to both mental and physical wellbeing.

The two towns also have parks and public spaces where people can exercise, meet friends or spend time with family, while free local bus services and other amenities make everyday routines easier.

Kluang, in particular, offers vocational and skills-training opportunities as well as jobs in agriculture, manufacturing and services, giving some younger residents the option of building careers without immediately having to leave their home district.

Cost of living matters, too: being able to afford daily necessities, find work and still have time for family can influence wellbeing just as much as having access to entertainment or major commercial developments.

None of this, of course, means the three towns are perfect. Roads still need maintaining, public facilities need looking after, and residents still want efficient services, clean surroundings and safe neighbourhoods.

Perhaps that is the more useful way to think about a “happy town”. It is not somewhere without problems, but somewhere everyday life feels manageable – where people have enough of what they need, somewhere to breathe, and other people around whom they are glad to call neighbours.

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