It is often said that statistics only tell half the story, and for anyone interested in investing in Malaysia, it's well worth taking a closer look.

According to the International Institute for Management Development's (IMD) World Competitiveness Rating, the Malaysian economy was the 22nd most competitive market in the world — eighth if the parameters are limited to countries with a population of over 20 million.

Of the 63 nations surveyed for the IMD's World Competitive Yearbook 2018, Malaysia was also listed as the 10th most digitally competitive nation.