According to a HSBC Expat Explorer Survey, Malaysia is the 10th friendliest country in the world.
The report, carried by Forbes Online, states our “satisfying social life, easy local travel and better housing” as desirable traits for expatriates.
For these expats, Malaysia is seen as an ideal launching pad for career-driven individuals who view our country as more of a temporary base with a relatively comfortable standard of living.
Kevin O’Beirne, a 32 year old sales consultant from Boston, has been living in Malaysia for two years, and agrees with the sentiments of the survey, quoting Kuala Lumpur’s convenient location as one of the more notable pluses.
“Being located in Kuala Lumpur, it is really easy to fly to other countries cheaply and quickly. Plus, the air is a lot fresher here compared to Bangkok or Shanghai” he says.
Fiona Oon, a luxury marketing executive, who comes from a mixed English-Malaysian parentage, also agrees that there is an appeal to the Malaysian lifestyle that some other Asian countries may not have.
“Kuala Lumpur has everything a big city can offer but you don’t feel like you’re stuck in a rat race, the pace of life is a lot more chilled here,” she says.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak took to his Twitter account to praise the article, writing, “We welcome the world!”
The tweet subsequently prompted 594 re-tweets as of Monday afternoon.
Along with Malaysia, other countries featured were Australia (2nd), United Kingdom (3rd) and Canada (4th).
The Cayman Islands was voted as the winning country, mainly for its no income tax, tropical weather and low crime rate.
Interestingly enough, Malaysia was the only Asian country featured in the top ten rankings, outpacing our ASEAN neighbours Singapore and Thailand.
However, the survey also found that many of these foreigners had difficulty adjusting to our local community due to the language barrier.
The report, carried by Forbes Online, states our “satisfying social life, easy local travel and better housing” as desirable traits for expatriates.
For these expats, Malaysia is seen as an ideal launching pad for career-driven individuals who view our country as more of a temporary base with a relatively comfortable standard of living.
Kevin O’Beirne, a 32 year old sales consultant from Boston, has been living in Malaysia for two years, and agrees with the sentiments of the survey, quoting Kuala Lumpur’s convenient location as one of the more notable pluses.
“Being located in Kuala Lumpur, it is really easy to fly to other countries cheaply and quickly. Plus, the air is a lot fresher here compared to Bangkok or Shanghai” he says.
Fiona Oon, a luxury marketing executive, who comes from a mixed English-Malaysian parentage, also agrees that there is an appeal to the Malaysian lifestyle that some other Asian countries may not have.
“Kuala Lumpur has everything a big city can offer but you don’t feel like you’re stuck in a rat race, the pace of life is a lot more chilled here,” she says.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak took to his Twitter account to praise the article, writing, “We welcome the world!”
The tweet subsequently prompted 594 re-tweets as of Monday afternoon.
Along with Malaysia, other countries featured were Australia (2nd), United Kingdom (3rd) and Canada (4th).
The Cayman Islands was voted as the winning country, mainly for its no income tax, tropical weather and low crime rate.
Interestingly enough, Malaysia was the only Asian country featured in the top ten rankings, outpacing our ASEAN neighbours Singapore and Thailand.
However, the survey also found that many of these foreigners had difficulty adjusting to our local community due to the language barrier.
(Source http://news.mylaunchpad.com.my)
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