Malaysia has just been rated the 10th most friendliest country in the world, based on HSBC’s recent Expat Explorer Survey. After the article was published, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak lauded the article and tweeted “We welcome the world”.
According to an article written on Forbes Online, “Better quality of life, a satisfying social life, easy local travel and better housing than in their home country helped put Malaysia in fifth place overall though many reported difficulty integrating into the local community (often because of a language barrier)”. (Source)
The online survey was carried out from May 11 to July 3, with a total of 5.339 expatriates from 97 countries.
The top three friendliest destinations were the Cayman Islands, Australia and Britain, where the article stated that the three nations were the “easiest to befriend locals, learn the local language, integrate into the community and fit into the new culture”.
The HSBC survey looked into various aspects of an expatriate’s life including the country’s economy, namely and disposable income and measure of luxury; and raising a family abroad which took into account the aspects of childcare, health, well-being and integration of children. (Source)
The survey cited that Malaysia was as a top destination for career-driven expatriates and provided a great quality of life, but noted that many looked at it as a temporary base.
