Kuala Lampur, Jan. 26 -- Earlier in 2025, a study conducted by a research team from Universiti Malaya on awareness of Taiwan among Malaysia's Malay population found that perceptions of Taiwan are very much based on its economic strength.

This should not come as a surprise, given Taiwan's normative image as a modern and open city. Although superstars like Jay Chou and A-Mei are well known amongst the respondents, when it comes to the perceptions of Taiwanese pop culture, specifically in the form of music, drama, films, anime, webtoon, manga/manhua, and social media fan pages, and in relation to its neighbours, the research findings paint a different picture.

Despite its established presence in Malaysia, Taiwanese pop culture is less prev...