KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has moved up a notch in the 2017 Global Peace Index (GPI), claiming the 29th spot as the most peaceful country in the world. The GPI 2017 report surveyed 163 countries.Malaysia also placed as the fifth most peaceful country in the Asia Pacific region after New Zealand, Japan, Australia and Singapore. North Korea and Philippines remained among the least peaceful countries ranking 150 and 138, respectively. Indonesia registered the greatest decline in the region, driven by deterioration in indicators measuring political terror, and number and duration of internal conflicts. Philippines also deteriorated in the overall score, coming in at 138 since President Rodrigo Duterte took office in June 2016 and started a nationwide war against drugs and crime.Meanwhile, Cambodia made the most progress in the region and this is reflected in the lower levels of labour unrest in the past year as well as an improvement in the number, duration and role in external conflicts, reflecting the ending of a border dispute with Thailand in 2011. However, Malaysia was listed among 25 countries that fell into conflict between 2008 and 2017, where there are more than 25 deaths from battle in any given year. Iceland ranked top in the GPI, followed by New Zealand, Portugal, Austria and Denmark. Iceland has remained as the most peaceful country since 2008 while Syria was ranked as the least peaceful country after Iraq and Afghanistan.
shahizam.f@mhtc.org.my
Muhammad Rasydan Ma’at
Asst. Manager, Communications
+603 8776 6168
rasydan.m@mhtc.org.my
Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), established in 2009 under the purview of the Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia, is entrusted with developing and nurturing the “Malaysia Healthcare” brand. MHTC enhances, coordinates, and promotes Malaysia’s healthcare travel industry by fostering industry collaborations and building valuable public-private partnerships both domestically and internationally. With 80 member hospitals nationwide, MHTC continues to elevate the healthcare travel ecosystem through strong branding, seamless patient experiences, and strategic market initiatives. In line with these efforts, MHTC is spearheading the Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism (MYMT) 2026, the nation’s first dedicated year to celebrate and advance healthcare travel. MYMT 2026 serves as a milestone initiative to showcase Malaysia’s world-class healthcare offerings, strengthen its position as the premier global healthcare destination, and highlight the industry’s significant contribution to the national economy. More information can be found at https://www.mhtc.org.my/.
