IPOH: Employment opportunities have overtaken the cost of living as the main concern among Perak residents, according to a survey by Institut Darul Ridzuan (IDR).
The shift in public priorities could reflect changing expectations of the state government's efforts to improve livelihoods under the Perak Sejahtera 2030 development agenda.
IDR chief executive officer Dr Zulqarnain Mohamad said the previous year's survey had identified cost of living as the main concern among respondents.
He said the latest findings suggested that residents were now placing greater emphasis on employment opportunities.
"Last year, the main concern was the cost of living. However, I believe the state government has introduced various initiatives, including Pasar Sejahtera Rakyat, which have helped the people.
"These efforts appear to have had a positive impact, with residents recognising the state government's initiatives.
"The survey also found that 66.4 per cent of respondents considered their monthly income sufficient, while 58.7 per cent said they could set aside money for emergency savings," he said.
He told reporters this after organising a dinner with Perak media practitioner at a hotel here last night. Also present was Perak Association of Media Practitioners president Sayed Mohd Hesham Syed Idris.
Zulqarnain said the findings were encouraging, although the survey did not establish the actual amount respondents had saved.
"We did not ask respondents about the exact amount of their emergency savings, so we cannot determine how much they had put aside," he said.
He said the survey also assessed residents' psychological capital, which measured their confidence and outlook for the future.
"The index recorded a score of 3.9 out of five, equivalent to 78 per cent," he added.
He said the findings indicated that residents were confident the state government could help improve their standard of living and overall well-being.
"Public confidence is important as it motivates us to work harder to improve the standard of living and socio-economic well-being of the people of Perak.
"However, we must continue working hard to ensure that this confidence translates into tangible improvements," he said.
IDR is an independent, non-profit think tank devoted to socio-economic research and development for the state government.
Meanwhile, he said IDR will hold its Perak Economic Outlook programme on Nov 16 to discuss the state's economic ecosystem, future direction and strategies to attract investment.
Zulqarnain said the programme would be among the institute's major initiatives this year.
"IDR will also hold its third Intellectual Discourse session of the year, focusing on ageing in Perak, which has one of the country's highest proportions of senior citizens," he added.
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