A recent study measuring the global influence of 47 cities ranked Kuala Lumpur at 31st place, and stated that it is unlikely KL would emerge as a global city, as it holds little sway over international trade.
The study, conducted as part of a joint project between Singapore’s Civil Service College and Califronia-based Chapman University’s Center for Demographics and Policy, placed KL on the same rung on the listing as Mumbai, India and Johannesburg in South Africa.
“These are significant centres of global production, but limited in their international scope and have little role in the ‘command and control’ of international commerce,” quotes Zurairi AR of The Malay Mail Online from a report on the study, in reference to developing cities in Asia, including Kuala Lumpur.
The report noted that it is “unlikely” that KL and cities like it to emerge as global cities in the immediate or even mid-range future.
By comparison, Singapore was ranked fourth in the study, after frontrunners London, New York and Paris, and was dubbed “Asia’s premier global city.” Bangkok came in at 34th place, while Jakarta was ranked 44th.
The study also states that Singapore has among the best basic infrastructure in the world, and does “very well” on other metrics of business friendliness and competitiveness. It also said Singapore benefited from its history of British governance and law, which resulted in the island republic having a critically-acclaimed civil justice system and business climate.
The study ranked the cities based on eight criteria: industry dominance and hub status,foreign direct investment, diversity, air connectivity, corporate headquarters, producer services, financial services, and technology and media.
Another study, this time conducted by the Intelligence Unit of London-based publication The Economist, noted that KL will struggle to keep up with leading cities in the region by 2025.
In that study, titled “Hot Spots 2025: Benchmarking the future competitiveness of cities”, KL was ranked 31st out of a field of 120 cities. KL however did mark an increase in comptetitiveness from the magazine’s last survey in 2012, when it was ranked 39th.
Photo: Hadi Zaher / Flickr
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