[Watch] Nga Kor Ming Shares His ‘Small Secrets’ To Happiness — Starting With Gratitude For Parents Still Alive
At a recent event, Local Government and Housing Minister Nga Kor Ming shared what he called his “small secrets” to happiness — four everyday habits rooted in gratitude, positivity, good company, and healthy living.
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Every morning, Nga Kor Ming prostrates in gratitude, not for his ministerial post, or his career, but because both his parents are still alive.
“This year I have passed fifty years old. But every morning I will sujud syukur — because my mum and dad are still here,” the Local Government, Housing and Urban Wellbeing Minister said at a recent event.
My dad is 88. My mum is 80. This is one of the greatest blessings I could ask for.
The remarks came as the Teluk Intan MP addressed what he called the “small secrets” to happiness — four practical habits he believes can lift Malaysia’s national happiness score to 100 per cent.
Malaysia’s recent happiness index score increased to 81%, up from 76%, indicating a significant rise in reported happiness among Malaysians.
Count Your Blessings, Not Your Problems
The DAP deputy chairman’s first secret is deceptively simple: every morning, look at what you have, not what you don’t.
“Count your blessings every morning,” he said. “Your body is still healthy. Today we can meet again — which means you are still alive, still breathing. That is counting your blessings.”
His second secret follows the same thread — maintaining a grateful heart. To illustrate the point, he drew a sharp contrast between Malaysia and its neighbours.
“This morning, my friend in Australia has started fuel rationing. One car cannot fill more than 40 litres. In Thailand, you queue for 4 hours just to fill up with diesel. The Philippines is already in a state of emergency. Bangladesh has shut all its universities,” he said.
But Malaysia — peaceful, calm, full of harmony. Once you are grateful, you feel happy.
Who You Surround Yourself With Matters
Nga’s third secret was delivered with a dose of humour.
He asked the audience to imagine two types of colleagues — one who walks in each morning saying, “This is a great day, we are going to work hard,” and another who immediately complains about a stomachache and a fight with his wife.
You always mix with people who are negative — every day sharing sadness, negativity, pessimism. Slowly, you become like them.
His advice: stay positive and deliberately avoid negative people.
The fourth and final secret was directed squarely at the overworked: eat healthy, exercise, and get proper sleep.
Many of you clearly work hard, but every night you scroll your phone until 2 am. So the next morning, your energy level is very low.
The remarks drew laughter from the crowd, many of whom are civil servants.
Malaysia’s Happiness Score On The Rise
Malaysia scored 6.005 in the World Happiness Report 2026, up from 5.96 the previous year, with an overall happiness rate of 81 per cent — surpassing the global average of 74 per cent.
The numbers were given sharper local colour on World Happiness Day on 7 April, when the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) and KPKT’s MURNInets system named ten towns as the happiest in the country.
Smaller, quieter towns dominated the list — among them Simpang Renggam in Johor, Dabong in Kelantan, and Raub in Pahang, alongside seven others spread across Terengganu and Sabah.
Nga, who heads KPKT, said the results reflect the MADANI government’s focus on sustainable and inclusive urban development — including smart city projects, public infrastructure upgrades, and waste management initiatives.
The recognition points to a broader trend — that in Malaysia, the happiest places are often not the biggest ones.
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