Malaysia has been listed as the country with the best overall investment conditions among developing and rapidly developing (E&D) countries in Asia in the 2024 Global Opportunity Index (GOI) by the US-based economic think tank, the Milken Institute.
The Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, said that this recognition is evidence of Malaysia’s efforts to enhance business facilitation and address key constraints faced by investors.
“We are delighted with this recognition, which reflects our focus on efficiently implementing approved investments. This recognition will drive us towards providing better services to assist investors in making Malaysia their gateway to Asia,” he said.
Overall, Malaysia ranks 27th, surpassing Thailand and China, which are ranked 37th and 39th, respectively, in the global ranking.
The minister mentioned that E&D Asia has the third-largest GOI among countries in the region, with four out of the top ten countries in the E&D Asia ranking outperforming the overall E&D average in five GOI categories.
“These categories include business perception, economic fundamentals, financial services, institutional framework, and international standards and policies,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Milken Institute stated that Malaysia’s status as the best investment destination in the region demonstrates significant performance exceeding the E&D average in financial services and institutional framework.
“Malaysia’s outstanding performance in the institutional framework is partly due to strong investor rights, ranking fifth overall in this GOI subcategory. In addition to Malaysia, China, the largest economy in the region, has scored significantly above the E&D average in financial access and financial size and condition, both of which are included in financial services,” the institute said.
Milken also found that E&D Asia performed well in financial services, with its average score in this category nearly matching that of European E&D and surpassing other E&D regions.
