Malaysians speak the best English in Asia? Debate is on X

An American tourist claimed that Malaysians overall speak “far better English than practically any other Asian country”, sparking a heated discussion on X.

The post by @AJA_Cortes on Dec 8 highlighted Malaysia’s affordable and accessible healthcare system, expressing surprise that doctors and staff spoke English fluently. It amassed nearly 12 million views.

Supporters agreed that Malaysia is definitely a destination of choice whereas critics disputed the claim over the command of English.

They 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.