Here’s something that’s bound to pique the Malaysian cynic in all of us. According to a survey conducted by the World Economic Forum, Malaysia has the one of the best network of tarmac in the world, ranked 19th, to be precise. Rated from a scale of one to seven, with seven being the best, Malaysia has been given a score of 5.6 – that puts it on the same tier as South Korea and ahead of Sweden and Denmark.
In fact, the rating puts Malaysia ahead of nations that are usually expected to possess better maintained roads such as Canada, Belgium, Australia and Norway. It has to be said that the assessments were based off a survey and not a systematic study – leaving plenty of subjective opinions to influence the outcome.
Top spot goes to the United Arab Emirates with a score of 6.6 while our neighbours down south, Singapore, occupy sixth place with a score of 6.1. Other top scorers include second-placed Portugal (6.3), Austria, France, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Switzerland and Japan. Using the same point system, how much would you rate our roads? Let us know in the comments below.
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AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments highlight the inconsistency between Malaysia's high ranking and actual road conditions, citing potholes, poor maintenance, and dangerous spots. Many criticize the survey’s credibility, suggesting biases or corruption influencing the results. Others compare Malaysia unfavorably to countries like Sweden, Denmark, the UK, and European nations, emphasizing worse conditions in Malaysia. Some mention that government efforts and reports are misleading, while a few defend or downplay issues, arguing the roads are still better than in some countries or reflecting on local politics.