American tourist sparks debate after saying Malaysians speak the best English in Asia

By Hoang Phong December 13, 2024 | 06:00 pm PT

People walk on a road in Kuala Pumpur, Malaysia. Photo by Reuters

An American tourist has had good impressions after his recent visit to Malaysia, claiming Malaysians overall speak "far better English than practically any other Asian country", sparking a heated discussion on social media.

The remarks, shared on Dec. 8 in a post on X (formerly Twitter), quickly went viral, amassing nearly 12 million views as of Friday.

In his post, @AJA_Cortes highlighted Malaysia’s affordable and accessible healthcare system, expressing surprise that doctors and staff spoke English fluently.

He also commended the country for its fair treatment of tourists, saying, "Tourists don’t get ripped off with big markups. You pay the same money as locals. The attitude of ‘rip off the foreigner for everything they got’ doesn’t seem to exist here."

While many netizens agreed with his positive assessment, others challenged his claim about English proficiency.

Supporters lauded Malaysia as a desirable destination, with some even considering it for long-term stays.

"It’s on my list of places to retire soon. I am looking to leave Europe, and Malaysia has been on my radar a while now," commented user Sensei Abuamerican.

Another user, volar yu, said, "I spend half of every year in Kuala Lumpur, yes I really like Malaysia."

However, critics argued that Singaporeans and Filipinos speak English more proficiently.
"Impossible that they speak better English than the Filipinos," wrote one commenter.

Another questioned, "They speak better English than Singapore, where it’s the official language?"

According to the 2024 English Proficiency Index by EF Education First, Malaysia ranks lower than both Singapore and the Philippines in Asia. The rankings are based on results from over 2.1 million EF SET tests taken by non-native English speakers aged 18 and older.

Singapore remains the highest-ranked Asian country, scoring 609 points and placing 3rd globally. It is also the only Asian nation in the "very high proficiency" category, with a score exceeding 600.

While Malaysia’s English proficiency is notable, the debate underscores differing perspectives on the matter, highlighting the complexities of assessing linguistic skills across diverse nations.