Minister Credits Madani Gov For KL’s Friendliest City Title – Malaysians Roll Eyes

Malaysians online were amused when Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming attributed the country’s top rank due to good government leadership.

Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.

Based on a 2023 survey by Enjoy Travel on the Big 7 Travel blog, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia is rated as the number 1 friendliest city in Asia in the Top 50 list.

Taipei (Taiwan) and Chiang Mai (Thailand) came in second and third while Singapore ranked seventh. The full list can be seen here.

Malaysians were praised for being “naturally friendly and nice” to strangers and for their “easy-going temperament.” Visitors said this makes it easier to befriend the locals, making it a top spot for tourists and expats.

Satu lagi berita baik.

Ibu kota KL telah berjaya dipilih sebagai Bandaraya yg paling mesra di benua Asia.

Ini adalah bukti kejayaan krjn Madani pimpinan YAB PM @anwaribrahim yg sentiasa menekankan sifat manusiawi, hormat & ihsan sebagai pedoman hidup warga kota.

Bangkit! 🫶🏼🇲🇾 pic.twitter.com/574prBS4Hc
— Nga Kor Ming (@NgaKorMing) September 3, 2024

All looked good until netizens saw Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming’s Twitter post praising Malaysians’ friendliness due to good government policies under the Madani administration.

Nga claimed Malaysia topping the list showed that the Madani leadership under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim successfully emphasised humanity, respect, and courtesy as the way of life here.

Netizens were proud of the ranking but were also amused by this huge claim. Some pointed out that Malaysians have always been friendly and hospitable to visitors even without any government policy leading the way.

There were calls to improve the city’s infrastructure such as making the city and suburban areas walkable. They said the city is currently too car-centric.

On the other hand, some jokingly asked everyone to be kind with their criticism because we were voted the “friendliest” folks in Asia.

Boss, ever since Malaysia was formed, we have been friendly and kind to everyone regardless of who was at the helm. It's just the Malaysian way. Cheer for the rakyat, instead of taking blatant credit like this. Must give credit where credit is due. What you think?
— kingtawa (@kingtawa23) September 4, 2024

Hmm jangan overclaim bro. Mesra tu sbb org2 Malaysia punya general behavior, bukan sbb polisi kerajaan 😂 Make KL city snd suburban more safe to walk, with more CCTVs only then can claim..
— Kay (@sirennextdoor) September 4, 2024