SINGAPORE: Malaysia has taken pole position in an online ranking of the 20 most loved countries in Asia, while Singapore was ranked third.
Insider Monkey, a site that tracks hedge funds and corporate insiders, published a list of the best-loved Asian countries on May 28.
The 20 countries were ranked according to various factors like respect, friendliness, most visited, diversity, and democracy, with 75 per cent weight given to the first three categories and the remaining 25 per cent to the last two.
The site explained that Asia is the fastest-growing continent across the globe, and in the next decade and a half, is likely to represent over half of the world’s GDP. Due to its huge potential, there has been a mass inflow of visitors with an eye toward finding jobs, remote work, or investment opportunities.
First-placer Malaysia’s overall score was 0.701, with high rankings for friendliness, number of visitors, and democracy. Its lowest ranking was for diversity.
In 2022, Malaysia welcomed more than 10 million visitors. Insider Monkey noted that people visit Malaysia not only for its “stunning beaches and posh city life” but also for the local culture and tradition, “enriched by hospitable and friendly locals.”
Runner-up Taiwan took first place for democracy and second place for respect, which means it could have easily taken first place. However, for diversity and number of visitors, Taiwan ranked last among the 20 locations on the list. Its overall score was 0.595.
Insider Monkey noted how Taiwan has been deemed an advanced economy by the World Bank and the IMF, with its GDP per capita at $72,490 (S$97,455) in 2023.
Singapore comes in third with an overall score of 0.593, just a shade below Taiwan’s score. The Little Red Dot ranked well when it comes to friendliness (5th), respect (6th), and number of visitors (6th), but did not fare quite as well for democracy (15th) and diversity (18th).
Nevertheless, the piece took note of Singapore’s status as a stable global business and financial hub, with some of the biggest companies choosing to locate their regional headquarters there. The list also emphasized that Singapore is also “among the least corrupt and richest countries in the world.”
Taking fourth place is Japan, with an overall score of 0.553. It took first place for respect and second place for democracy, but interestingly, Insider Monkey did not give Japan a rating for diversity and friendliness.
In fifth place is the United Arab Emirates, with an overall score of 0.520. The UAE took first place for friendliness and second place for number of visitors.
TISG/