Once upon a time, a shipment of spices from Malaysia made fortunes worthy of kings. The country’s riches were celebrated throughout the ancient world and the Malay Orang, or Malayan people were famed for their skill as sea traders.
In 150 A.D., the ancient Greek geographer Ptolemy included the Malaysian peninsula in his map of the world. Almost 1,500 years later, the map was used by Christopher Columbus when he tried to reach the spice islands in Southeast Asia and found the Americas instead.
Modern visitors to the country are drawn less by the promise of vast pepper- or nutmeg-based fortunes and more by its rich culture and natural beauty: some of Malaysia’s islands and reefs have been repeatedly voted the most beautiful in the world.
The country is as attractive to entrepreneurs as it is for tourists: for the last ten years it has ranked highest in the World Bank Groups ease of business index. It also remains a strong contender in the international economic arena: Malaysia’s economy was fifth in the world for countries with a population of over 20 million.