1 Over 50 years of political stability and remarkable growth rates helmed by a democratically elected, pro-business Government which fosters an open economy and promotes international trade and investment.	2 Location, location, location – Malaysia lies at the heart of Southeast Asia, strategically situated along the East-West trade route.
3 Being at the heart of the ASEAN region, which comprises a potential market of about 570 million population and a combined GDP of more than US$1 trillion, shouldn’t you locate to Malaysia? More than 5,000 companies from over 60 nations have opened their doors in Malaysia.	4 Malaysia is home to over 160 Operational HQs, 209 International Procurement Centres, 19 Regional Distribution Centres, 701 Regional Offices and 1,511 Representative Offices.
5 Today, Malaysia is a global player in the export of several products including rubber, palm oil, electrical and electronics, as well as furniture.	6 Malaysia is a leading producer of palm oil, currently the world’s most widely produced and traded vegetable oil, accounting for 41% of the world’s palm oil production.
7 Malaysia is one of the world’s leading exporters of electronics and semiconductor devices. Today, Malaysia’s semiconductor industry is moving towards backward integration and the shift from low-wage, labour intensive manufacturing activities to low-cost, rapid ramp-up, high-volume, increasing automated manufacturing activities.	8 In the 2009 Forbes 4th annual Best Countries for Business ranking amongst 127 economies, Malaysia is a big mover, going up 13 spots to number 25.
9 Over 7.4 million Malaysians speak, read and write like the English.	10 The system of government in Malaysia is closely modelled after the Westminster Parliamentary System. Parliamentary elections are held at least once every five years, with the last general election being in March 2008.
11 Malaysia is a Constitutional Monarchy. Executive power is vested in the Cabinet led by the Prime Minister who commands a majority in Parliament. The Cabinet is responsible to the Parliament.	12 Malaysia has been ranked the 10th best country to survive the global economic crisis ahead of the Netherlands (13), the USA (13), Indonesia (15), France (17) Belgium (18), England (18), South Korea (18), Germany (28), Ireland (28), Russia (28), Brazil (30), the Philippines (30) and Thailand (30) according to the Servcorp International Business Confidence Survey 2009.
13 This is the world’s first country to expand upon private-public sector collaboration structured on the concept of pursuing “growth with equity”, and expressed through Malaysia Incorporated.	14 Kuala Lumpur International Airport won 2nd placing for the Best Airport Worldwide, beating Singapore’s Changi Airport and Hong Kong International, airports noted for their service excellence, and Best Airport Asia Pacific in the ACI-ASQ Awards 2007.
15 In economic integration, Malaysia is ranked ahead of Australia (7), Canada (12), China (16), Indonesia (17), Japan (10), the Philippines (13), Thailand (8), the US (15) and Vietnam (14).	16 Less red tape. Malaysia is ranked 5th in Asia, ahead of China (9), India (10), Japan (6), the Philippines (8) and Thailand (7).
17 World-class corporate governance framework by investors and board of directors based on accountability and responsibility. Out of 134 countries, Malaysia is ranked 25th, ahead of Brazil (46), China (90), India (45), Indonesia 27), Japan (28), the Philippines (53), Russia (35), Spain (36), Taiwan (39), Thailand (66) and Vietnam (85).	18 Based on ethical behaviour of companies when it comes to interactions with public officials, politicians and other enterprises, Malaysia is ranked 30th, ahead of Brazil (89), China (60), India (61), Indonesia (97), Italy (78), the Philippines (102), Russia (112), Taiwan (40), Thailand (69) and Vietnam (73).
19 The confidence in a world-class judiciary. Malaysia is ranked 9th, ahead of Hong Kong (11), Japan (16), South Korea (29), Taiwan (44), the UK (21) and the US (33).	20 Respect for Intellectual Property. Malaysia is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and a signatory to the Paris Convention and Berne Convention that govern IP rights. Malaysia is also a signatory to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), under the World Trade Organization (WTO).
21 A vibrant economy. Strong domestic consumption, a diversified business sector coupled with solid export performance are reflected in Malaysia’s GDP growth averaging over 4.7% in 2008, ahead of Germany (-0.43%), Hong Kong (2.6.8%), Japan (-0.58%), South Korea (2.38%), Singapore (1.25%), the UK (0.70%) and the US (1.13%).	22 Robust and dynamic. Malaysia’s competitive spirit is reflected in its being ranked a step below the UK at number 16 in the Competitive Industrial Index (CPI), outpacing Brazil (38), Canada (20), China (26), France (17), India (54), the Philippines (30), Russia (81), Thailand (25) and Vietnam (69).
23 Successful economic transformation. From a producer of raw materials, Malaysia has evolved into a multi-sector economy, which has transformed into a service-driven and knowledge-based economy.	24 Malaysia performance by sector: Mining to grow 1.1 per cent, manufacturing sector 1.7 per cent, agriculture 2.5 per cent, construction 3.2 per cent and service 3.6 per cent. Private consumption is expected to expand by 2.9 per cent while private investment is set to grow by 3.4 per cent.
25 Strong fundamentals plus a strong domestic banking system, with ample liquidity, relatively low level of external debt and a high level of international reserves. For 9 consecutive years since 1998, Malaysia's current account in the balance of payments registered a surplus and for 2008 it was 17.442% of GDP.	26 Trusted creditworthiness. The national savings rate continues to remain high at over 37% of GDP, indicating Malaysia’s excellent economic health.
27 Strong checks and balances. Malaysia’s debt service ratio for both 2007 and 2008 recorded a stable 3.8%.	28 Solid foundation. Malaysia’s financial system is sound with over US$88 billion in net international reserves for 2009 and ranked number 15 ahead of Australia (40), Canada (31), Sweden (42), the UK (22) and the US (19).
29 Strong fiscal policies. Inflation is relatively mild at an average of 5.4% and is expected to drop to an average of 1.5% - 2% in 2009 while unemployment is a low 3.7%.	30 Malaysia continues to maintain a foreign exchange administration policy that supports the flow of capital into and out of the country, while preserving its financial and economic stability.
31 Investors are free to repatriate any amount of own funds in Malaysia at any time, including capital, divestment proceeds, profits, dividends, rental, fees and interest arising from investments in Malaysia.	32 Overseas companies can bring in expatriate personnel to fill key positions in Malaysia.
33 Amongst emerging markets, Malaysia ranked 13th, is acclaimed for its safe, stable manufacturing environment, putting it ahead of China (14), the Philippines (16), Russia (18) and South Africa (19).	34 Ranked 9th, Malaysia offers the services industry a higher level of confidence as to the sustainable nature of their investment when compared to China (16), India (20), South Africa (19) and Thailand (19).
35 Comfortable accommodation is not a problem in Malaysia. There are over 2,300 hotels, offering over 160,000 rooms, including the world’s largest hotel with a whopping record of 6,118 rooms.	36 The quality of Malaysia’s companies are well known. Over 80% of Malaysian businesses have improved on their energy efficiency and waste management, compared to fewer than 60% of all businesses globally.
37 In the 2009 FTSE Global Equity Index Series Country Classification, Malaysia is one of three countries (Czech Republic and Turkey) earmarked to be Advanced Emerging in the FTSE Watch List 2010.	38 A sizeable 99.2% or 548,267 of Malaysian business establishments are made up of SMEs, of which about 80% are microenterprises. 87% of Malaysia’s SMEs are in the services sector, while 7.2% are in manufacturing and 6.2% are in the agricultural sector.
39 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) provide jobs for over 5.6 million workers, accounting for 56% of total employment, contributing to 32% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 19% to the total export value.	40 The focus for the next 15 years in Malaysia will be on high value-added business and professional services, logistics, distributive trade, education and training, construction, health and tourism.
41 The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre stands out as the city’s most technologically advanced purpose-built facility. Sprawling over a gross built-up area of 120,000 sq. m., it boasts of having one of the largest pillarless exhibition halls in Asia and the latest state-of-the-art 3G technology.	42 Malaysia ranked 31st, recorded the highest jump amongst South East Asian countries in the Economist Intelligence Report 2009, "A New Ranking of the World's Most Innovative Countries”. Thailand dropped from 53rd to 58th while Indonesia remained at 74th China and India are ranked 54th and 56th respectively.
43 Malaysia’s rich biodiversity provides a lavish “nursery” for research and development in the field of biotechnology, and these efforts are being led by the Malaysian Biotech Corporation.	44 Malaysia is ranked the world’s 18th most competitive environment, ahead of Brazil (40), China (20), France (28), India (30), Indonesia (42), Ireland (19), the Philippines (43), Russia (49), South Korea (27) and Taiwan (23).
45 In economic performance, Malaysia ranked 9th, is ahead of Australia (15), Brazil (31), Canada (16), France (17), India (12), Indonesia (41), Ireland (37), Japan (24), the Philippines (51), Russia (49), South Korea (45), Sweden (20) and Taiwan (27).	46 How business friendly is Malaysia? Malaysia is ranked 20th most business friendly in the world, compared to Brazil (125), China (83), France (31), Germany (25), India (122), Indonesia (129), the Netherlands (26), the Philippines (140), Russia (120), Vietnam (92) or even Switzerland (21). So, doing business here is a breeze.
47 Malaysia places strong emphasis on efficiency. The Government is ranked 19th most efficient, ahead of Brazil (52), France (46), Germany (27), India (35), Indonesia (33), Japan (40), the Philippines (42), Russia (39), South Korea (36), the UK (30) and the US (20).	48 In terms of infrastructure, Malaysia ranks 19th in the world, ahead of Brazil (78), China (52), India (67), Ireland (49), the Philippines (94) and Russia (65).
49 The quality of Malaysia’s logistics infrastructure is ranked 27th, ahead of Brazil (61), China (30), India (39), Indonesia (43), the Philippines (65), Russia (99), Thailand (31) and Vietnam (53).	50 Over 1,700 events have been held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, welcoming 6.1 million delegates who have contributed up to 6.5 million delegate days.
51 Malaysia’s household Internet penetration is 66.0% with 21.1% being broadband.	52 Companies listed in Malaysia came in second place in terms of CSR Disclosure in the Asia Business Barometer 2008 survey, ahead of Thailand and Singapore.
53 The Malaysian Public Service Delivery System works on the premise of “One Service, One Delivery, No Wrong Door” to drive the message of accessibility and greater simplification of services.	54 In financial development, Malaysia is ranked 20th, ahead of Brazil (40), China (24), India (31), Italy (22) and Russia (36).
55 Malaysia now allows 100 per cent foreign equity participation in corporate finance and financial planning companies compared with the present requirement of at least 30 per cent local shareholding.	56 In FDI Confidence, Malaysia is rated 16th in the world, ahead of the Gulf States (17), South Africa (18) and South Korea (24).
57 A key factor for the strong FDI inflows is Malaysia’s stability. One attraction for electronics manufacturers is the availability of quality manpower at costs that are 40% lower than in Singapore and Hong Kong.	58 Islamic banking assets account for 18.8 per cent of Malaysia’s total banking assets while takaful industry assets contribute 7.7 per cent of total insurance and takaful industry assets.
59 Malaysia is the largest Islamic private debt securities (IPDS) market, or “Sukuk”, worth over US$34 billion in domestic corporate bonds.	60 Malaysia has an active Islamic money market channelling over US$7 billion to US$10 billion monthly.
61 As an investment destination, the Malaysian capital market offers a wide range of world-class products. More than 85% of the companies listed on Bursa Malaysia are Shariah compliant, representing about 60% of total market capitalisation.	62 Malaysia issued Asia’s first Islamic Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), valued at the equivalent of US$262.5 million.
63 Malaysia maintains a liberal foreign exchange administration where investors are free to obtain ringgit and foreign currencies to fund their investments.	64 Moody’s long-term foreign and local currency bond rating for Malaysia is A3 with a stable outlook. For long-term foreign currency, Fitch’s rating is A- with a positive outlook. Standard & Poor’s has ‘A-/A-2’ foreign currency and ‘A+/A-1’ local currency ratings on Malaysia.
65 For country risk, market attractiveness, market saturation and time pressure, Malaysia is ranked 13th, ahead of Indonesia (15), the Philippines (26), Thailand (24) and the United Arab Emirates (20).	66 For country risk, Malaysia is ranked 7th, better than Brazil (19), China (10), India (14) Indonesia (28), the Philippines (25), Russia (12) and Thailand (13).
67 Two of the 20 experts that make up The Commission of Experts of the President of the UN General Assembly on Reforms of the International Monetary and Financial System established 18th October 2008 are Malaysian.	68 Currently, about 12,000 participants from China, South Korea, Britain, Bangladesh, certain European countries and the Middle East are residing in Malaysia under the Malaysia My Second Home programme (MM2H). To encourage greater participation, the entry age allows those below 50 to seek employment opportunities in selective industries.
69 If your business is seeking financial capital, Malaysia is most supportive. At number 15, Malaysia is ahead of Brazil (77), Canada (25), China (99), France (51), Germany (46), India (42), Indonesia (65), Ireland (19), Japan (67), the Philippines (89), Russia (86), Spain (47), South Korea (26), Switzerland (32), Taiwan (38), Thailand (44) and Vietnam (91).	70 Who offers business better access to credit? Malaysia, ranked number 1 is ahead of Australia (5), Brazil (84), China (59), France (43), Germany (12), Hong Kong (2), India (28), Indonesia (109), Japan (12), the Philippines (123), Russia (109), Singapore (5), South Korea (12), Taiwan (68), Thailand (68), the UK (2), the US (5) and Vietnam (43).
71 For access to credit information (on a scale of 1 - 6, with 6 being the highest), Malaysia is ranked at number 6 on par with Austria, Canada, Germany, Japan, South Korea, the UK and the US.	72 Who protects investors best? In strength of investor protection, the Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010 ranks Malaysia at No. 4, ahead of Brazil (55), China (71), India (31), Indonesia (42), Ireland (5), Japan (15), Netherlands (86), the Philippines (100), Russia (71), South Korea (55), Switzerland (122), Taiwan (55), Thailand (11), the UK (9) and the US (5).
73 The Malaysia Industrial Development Authority was voted 3rd best National Investment Promotion Agency in the Asia-Pacific Region by Site Selection magazine’s, “The 2008 Global Best to Invest Rankings”.	74 For off-shoring, Malaysia is ranked 3rd ahead of Canada (35), Germany (40), Ireland (50), Russia (37), Singapore (11) and the UK (42).
75 Amongst emerging countries, Malaysia is ranked 1st for labour, ahead of Brazil (8), China (10), India (4) and Thailand (3).	76 Malaysia scores 94 (based on a score of 0-100, with the higher number representing higher availability of talent in emerging countries), ahead of Brazil (73), China (76), India (77) and Thailand (92).
77 Malaysia scores 92 (based on a score of 0-100, with the higher number representing high talent development), ahead of Brazil (61), China (44), India (81) and Thailand (65).	78 In business efficiency, Malaysia at number 13 outranks Brazil (27), China (32), France (42), Germany (19), Indonesia (38), Ireland (17), Japan (18), the Philippines (32), Russia (54), South Korea (29), the UK (28) and the US (16).
79 What about the flexibility of hours worked? Malaysia scores 0, the best, which is also on par with the US and far ahead of Brazil (60), China (20), France (60), Germany (60), India (20), Indonesia (109), Japan (20), the Philippines (20), Russia (60), Singapore (5), South Korea (60), Taiwan (40), Thailand (20), the UK (20) and Vietnam (20). (Note: Higher values mean more rigid regulations.)	80 In terms of employment regulations, Malaysia ranked 10th is ahead of Brazil (46), China (27), France (56), Germany (44), India (30), Indonesia (40), Japan (17), the Philippines (35), Russia (44), South Korea (45), Taiwan (53), Thailand (18), the UK (14) and Vietnam (24).
81 Comparative salaries present an attractive proposition for employers. Let’s take an IT manager’s salary per annum: Australia (US$88,850), China (US$36,220), Hong Kong (US$90,340), Ireland (US$108,230), the US (US$107,500), while in Malaysia, it averages US$35,260.	82 Sharpen your competitive edge! You’ll find Malaysia has what it takes. Ranked 18th most competitive country in the world, ahead of Ireland (19), China (20), South Korea (27), Taiwan (23), Thailand (26) and the UK (21).
83 American technology companies report low staff turnover and low wage-inflation in Malaysia.	84 You will find some of the most efficient people in Malaysia. Ranked 19th in the world, Malaysia is ahead of Brazil (91), China (51), France (105), Germany (58), India (89), Sweden (26) and Taiwan (21).
85 As an export-based economy, Malaysia at 19 outpaces Australia (22), Thailand (25), India (25), Indonesia (30), and the Philippines (54).	86 Malaysia’s top trading partners are Singapore, the US, Japan, China, South Korea, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and Germany. The country’s main export markets are Singapore, the US, Japan, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, South Korea, India, Australia and the Netherlands.
87 In manufacturing, the electronics and electrical sectors which are the largest, contributed an estimated 59% of Malaysia’s manufactured exports.	88 Malaysia is also the halal gateway to Europe and offers connectivity to over 300 ports worldwide.
89 Being the first country in the world to offer the seamless transfer of cargo from a seaport for carriage by air is another way Malaysia makes business fly.	90 Let’s talk sustainability. Britain's forest cover is less than 12%. By comparison, 83% of Malaysia's land mass is green expanse, of which 64% is forest including some of the world's oldest rainforests, second only to Sweden (66.9%) and ahead of Brazil (57%), the US (33.1%), Germany (31.7%) and France (28.3%).
91 Save money exporting. It’s cheaper to export from Malaysia (US$450 per container) than Brazil (US$1,240), China (US$460), India (US$945), Russia (US$2,150), Singapore (US$456), or the US (US$990).	92 Only 7 documents are needed when exporting in Malaysia, ahead of Brazil (8), India (8), the Philippines (8) and Russia (8).
93 What about the quality of transport and support infrastructure? How efficient is the clearance process? Affordability? Ability? Tracking shipments? Domestic costs? Timeliness? Malaysia is ranked 27th, well ahead of Brazil (61), China (30), India (39) and Russia (99).	94 Malaysia’s load centre, Port Klang, is ranked the world’s 16th top container port in terms of TEU’s, ahead of Le Havre (41), Melbourne (51), New York/New Jersey (19), Oakland (46), Tianjin (17) and Yokohama (29).
95 On a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 being the highest, in domestic logistics cost amongst ASEAN countries, Malaysia at 3.13 costs less than Cambodia (3.21), the Philippines (3.27), Thailand (3.21) and Vietnam(3.30).	96 On a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 being the highest, Malaysia at 3.48 outranks Brazil (2.75), China (3.32), India (3.07) and Russia (2.37) in the performance capabilities of the local logistics industry.
97 Container tracking is more straightforward in Malaysia (3.51) than in Brazil (2.77), China (3.37), India (3.03) and Russia (2.17). (Based on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the highest)	98 When starting a business there are only nine procedures to follow, unlike Brazil (18), China (14), India (13) and the Philippines (15).
99 Starting a business in Malaysia takes only 13 days, faster than Brazil (152), China (40), Costa Rica (60), India (30), the Philippines (52) South Korea (17) or Switzerland (20).	100 Only 5 procedures go into registering business property in Malaysia, ahead of Brazil (14), Canada (6), France (9), India (6), Italy (8), Japan (6) or South Korea (7).
101 As a percentage of property value, the cost involved in registering a property in Malaysia is 2.5%, far lower than Australia (4.9%), Brazil (2.7%), China (3.2%), India (7.5%), Singapore (2.8%), Taiwan (6.2%) and the UK (4.1%).	102 Starting a business in Malaysia is far cheaper than in India, Italy, Korea, the Philippines or Spain. DTZ Global Occupancy Survey 2009 showed Kuala Lumpur's cost per workstation is just US$3,820 a year compared with Hong Kong's US$21,930 and Singapore's US$16,540 or just 17.4% of the cost in Hong Kong and 23% of the cost in Singapore.
103 There are only 12 tax payments to be made in Malaysia, a lot fewer than Germany (16), India (60), Japan (13), the Philippines (47), Russia (22), South Korea (14) and Switzerland (24).	104 The maximum income tax rate is 26% effective from the 2010 year of assessment.
105 You profit more in Malaysia: the percentage of profits taxed is a mere 16.8%! Unlike Australia (27.2%), Brazil (21.3%), Canada (25.5%), India (22.9%), Japan (34.0%), South Korea (18.6%), the UK (21.0%) and the US (23.5%).	106 How does the quality of customer service offered by the Malaysian Civil Service rate? Malaysia was ranked 14th, out-serving Brazil (20), France (17), Germany (15), Italy (18), Poland (21), Portugal (16), Spain (19) and South Africa (22).
107 “For Best Practices covering the area of financial standards by e-Standards Forum 2008, Malaysia is ranked 36th together with Singapore, outranking Brazil (46), China (65), India (50), Indonesia (50), Japan (43), South Korea (56), Russia (44), Taiwan (70), Thailand (49) and Vietnam (73).	108 Overseas companies do not require local equity participation as a requisite for listing on Malaysia's stock exchange.
109 Malaysia's government portal, www.malaysia.gov.my, which offers 1,115 services online, is ranked No.11 out of 198 countries offering online Electronic Government (EG) services according to US-based Brookings Institution's survey for 2008.	110 Under a single tier tax system, profits are only taxed at the company level in Malaysia, and dividends received are exempted from tax.
111 Until December 2008, 720 government organisations, including district health clinics have been ISO 9001:2000 certified.	112 To attract foreign investment while expanding opportunities for greater foreign participation in Malaysia’s services sector, 27 service sub-sectors covering the areas of health and social services, tourism services, transport, business and the computer industry and related services have been liberalised.
113 Malaysia also gives incentives for re-investment. The re-investment allowance, which can be claimed for 15 consecutive years, gives qualifying companies either 60% or 100% set off of the qualifying capital expenditure against its statutory income.	114 Malaysia has a licensing and regulatory framework to control the manufacture of optical discs and continues to impose a hologram-labelling requirement for optical discs containing copyrighted material.
115 In terms of pay-to-productivity ratio, Malaysia at number 6 is more productive than Australia (26), Brazil (66), Canada (31), France (82), India (45), Indonesia (18), Ireland (76), Japan (12), Norway (74), the Philippines (57), Russia (11), Spain (84), South Korea (14), Sweden (59), the UK (32), the US (7) and Vietnam (17).	116 In education and training, Malaysia at number 35 outranks Brazil (58), China (64), India (63) and Russia (46).
117 In terms of technological achievement, Malaysia is ranked 28th, ahead of Brazil (39), China (40), Costa Rica (32), India (58), the Philippines (40) and Thailand (34).	118 In e-readiness (the ability to use ICT to develop one’s economy and to foster one’s welfare), Malaysia is number 34, ahead of Brazil (42), China (56), India (54) and Thailand (47).
119 In terms of environmental protection and sustainability, Malaysia is ranked 38th by Yale and Columbia University, ahead of China (133), India (101) Netherlands (40), Taiwan (145), the UK (65) and the US (45).	120 What is the quality of life offered to expatriates here? Malaysia is ranked 20th, ahead of China (45), India (43), the Philippines (47) and the UK (25).
121 Malaysia holds 13th position as a retirement haven for expatriates, ahead of Ireland (25), Spain (15), South Africa (16), Thailand (20), the UK (29) and the US (21).	122 Malaysia’s health system, ranked 49th by WHO, is ahead of Brazil (125), China (144), India (112), South Korea (58) and Russia (130).
123 Malaysians enjoy nominal charges on medical and hospitalisation and in some cases free medical care is given to the poor, while the cost of medical or dental treatment is tax-free.	124 In cost of living, Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, is ranked 106th least expensive city in the world. The cost of a 4-dish meal for two, excluding beverages, in a Chinese restaurant in London, would be about US$112. In Malaysia, the cost for an equivalent meal including steamed fresh fish would cost US$20.
125 Kuala Lumpur is ranked third best city for Business in Asia in the “2009 Best in Travel Poll”, ahead of Bangkok, Shanghai, Sydney, Beijing. Dubai, Tokyo, Seoul and Taipei.	126 Kuala Lumpur is also the 3rd cheapest city out of 74 major cities in the world as compared with Hong Kong (72), Jakarta (7), Shanghai (43) and Singapore (48).
127 Kuala Lumpur has a literacy rate of 97.5% and is home to 13 tertiary education institutions, 79 high schools, 155 elementary schools and 136 kindergartens.	128 Conference arrivals in Malaysia amounted to 1,013,104 or 5% of the total 20.7 million tourist arrivals to Malaysia. Conference delegates collectively contributed nearly US$1 billion in revenue for the country in 2007 or 6.9% of the tourist receipts.
129 More Malaysians speak English than there are in Ireland, New Zealand and more as a first language than China and Russia combined. (Plus, if the Russians were to commission an ad like this, they’d get an Englishman to write it. We don’t need to.)	130 Malaysia’s medical tourist industry has seen staggering growth in recent years. From 2001-2006, the number of foreigners seeking healthcare services in Malaysia almost tripled from 75,210 patients to 296,687 patients. Projections suggest that the trend will continue to grow at 30% a year.
131 Malaysia was selected as the world’s third most attractive destination for offshore medical treatment, based on quality and affordability of care, as well as receptiveness to foreign investment. Placing Malaysia ahead of any other Asian country. Even Singapore.	132 Malaysia guarantees 100 percent of bank deposits until 2010.
133 According to Malaysian Biotech Corporation, biotechnology is poised to become a key driver in the future growth of the country. It is predicted that biotechnology will contribute about 2.5% to the country’s GDP by 2010 and 4% and 5% by 2015 and 2020, respectively.	134 Approval of work permits for expatriates takes only seven days.
135 Bursa Malaysia, which operates the world’s most active trading crude palm oil futures market (FCPO) where more than 20,000 contracts are traded everyday, is the global benchmark pricing for CPO and its related products.	136 In a 2008 UBS report, Kuala Lumpur was globally ranked number 1 in terms of being the most inexpensive of 71 global cities surveyed.
137 Kuala Lumpur’s open real estate laws and low cost of living have attracted a flood of foreign investors. Prices are competitive – KL City Centre prices are about 11% of those in Singapore. Since December 2007, regulations have been removed for properties worth more than US$72,000, and no limit is imposed on the number of properties that can be acquired.	138 Malaysia is a low-cost country to live in. If you are on a pension from a developed country you will find that it offers a high standard of living. Since remittances from abroad are not taxed, it makes the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme even more attractive.
139 To boost tourist arrivals, a rebate of 50% on landing charges will be given for a period of 2 years effective 1 April 2009 to all airlines that operate from Malaysia.	140 Malaysia is categorised as an “upper middle income country” and ranked third richest country in ASEAN.
141 In the rubber industry, Malaysia is the world’s largest supplier of medical rubber gloves, catheters, latex thread and cord.	142 In the furniture industry, Malaysia is ranked among the top 10 exporters in the world. Yes, that chair you are sitting on could be made in Malaysia.
143 In 2006, a premium population of frequent travelers—13,653 business travelers who average 39 round-trip flights a year—participated in an extensive 8-month survey conducted by Global Traveler magazine and they voted Malaysia as the Best Tourism Destination.	144 Malaysia is a veritable United Nations of different ethnic groups, but with one difference. Here, diversity is strength. Malaysia’s 27 million people, a potpourri of Malays, Chinese, Indians, Eurasians, Kadazan, Melanau, Ibans, Dayaks, Bajaus and Dusuns peppered with Americans, Germans, French, Dutch, English, Japanese and Koreans, work as one.
145 To encourage the development of new technologies, Malaysia offers a suite of incentives which include double deduction for expenses incurred in undertaking R&D activities and the promotion of the export of the services.	146 How sophisticated are Malaysia’s companies? Ranked 22nd in the world for sophistication of company operations and strategy, Malaysia is ahead of Brazil (35), China (43), India (27) and Russia (91).
147 The Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), which has 35,000 sq m of exhibition space and Putrajaya’s Putra International Convention Centre (PICC) which has 1.3 million sq. ft., offer the capacity to take 10,000 persons at one go comfortably.	148 Malaysia’s laws are based on the British legal system, which simplifies the property purchasing process.
149 Malaysia is the perfect place for business, convention and leisurely gatherings. Kuala Lumpur, ranked 15th, attracted over 4.125 million visitors, ahead of Beijing (22), Edinburgh (56), Las Vegas (48), Los Angeles (31), Melbourne (72), Moscow (21), Mumbai (86), New Delhi (92), Rio de Janeiro (35), San Francisco (37), Sydney (43) and Tokyo (51).	150 Dow Jones and Company of New York and RHB Securities of Kuala Lumpur, teamed up to launch a new “Islamic Malaysia Index” — a collection of 45 stocks representing Malaysian companies that comply with a variety of Shariah-based criteria.
151 Serving the interest of consumers and investors alike in Malaysia are Islamic banks, investment banks, takaful companies, development financial institutions, savings institutions, fund management companies, stockbrokers and unit trusts.	152 Malaysia offers much potential for astute investors, scoring a B in the 2008 Ducroire- Delcredere Commercial Risk Chart (based on A representing lowest risk).
153 Your customers can expect timely container arrivals from Malaysia (3.95), compared to Brazil (3.10), China (3.68), India (3.47), the Philippines (3.14), Russia (2.94) and Thailand (3.91). (Based on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the highest)	154 In a poll by Conde Nast Traveller, Kuala Lumpur scores for having the best food and restaurants notching 95.7% in this category.
155 Malaysia is ranked as a top medical destination by the WHO. The country achieved a high overall standard of healthcare similar to the more recognised western healthcare systems.	156 Malaysia has excellent hospitals where English is widely spoken and many staff have been highly trained in the UK or the US.
157 In 2006, nearly 300,000 health tourists arrived, generating revenues in excess of US$57.8 million.	158 In price competitiveness as a tourist destination, Malaysia is ranked 4th ahead of Australia (117), Brazil (91), Canada (106), China (20), France (132), Hong Kong (45), India (46), Japan (86), the Philippines (16), Russia (108), Singapore (27), Taiwan (34), Thailand (19), the UK (133), the US (107) and Vietnam (11).
159 The agriculture sector is now being revisited and due to Malaysia’s natural resources, it is opening doors for further growth.	160 Malaysia provides certified halal food for the world’s rapidly growing Muslim population and specifically in the UK and the US. In the US alone, the halal trade is worth US$12 billion.
161 Leading corporations have already assessed Malaysia’s pivotal location as an important global hub for halal produce.	162 The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre emerged winner of the ‘Best Exhibition and Convention Centre in Asia’ by the prestigious TravelWeekly (Asia).
163 The Malaysian tourism industry continues to grow rapidly, thanks to increasing promotional activities, growing MICE industry and a rising level of personal disposable incomes.	164 In the 2008 edition of the Global Real Estate Transparency Index by Jones Lang LaSalle, Malaysia was classified as “Transparent”, ahead of Russia, Japan and Dubai.
165 Malaysian housing costs are low even in big cities like Kuala Lumpur. One can enjoy more space at very affordable rates in medium-sized homes or 2-bedroomed apartments.	166 Malaysia is made more attractive with an incentive that encourages businesses to invest by allowing the expenses incurred on plant and machinery to be given accelerated capital allowance, which can then be claimed within 2 years. This is applicable to investments incurred between 10 March 2009 and 31 December 2010.
167 Foreign investors may sell any investments in Malaysia, including securities not listed on Bursa Malaysia, to a resident or a non-resident.	168 Among the areas of interest being promoted in biotechnology are food and agro-biotechnology, biopharmaceuticals such as antibodies and vaccines and biodiagnostics.