Everyone is positive on India (I am too, I own INDA- India ETF). However, after having traveled a bit here, I have a slightly better understanding of Singapore (EWS) and Malaysia (EWM). Myanmar I believe is a frontier market, and FAR from any true investment consideration. China is pretty well documented, and a pretty difficult country to tackle, given the complicated nature of its economic and political systems...
Here are my super surface level thoughts around the Malaysian and Singaporian economy.
Malaysia- A politically stable democratic country which seems rather rare in the emerging market realm. Their economy is really based on commodities like most emerging markets. Oil, LNG, Palm oil, and some technology companies really support the economy. The Infrastructure (highways, trains, air traffic) is actually not too bad, but there is definitely room to improvement and expansion. However, everything has a cost. The palm oil industry has overtaken the rain forests and destroyed a significant portion of the wildlife/ecosystem on the Borneo Islands. The government has started regulating this issue, but the effects are quite visible on the island. Also, by doing this they are stifling exports, as palm oil is used in many of the consumer packaged goods (CPG) we use on daily bases. It is prevalent in everything from soap and detergent to pizza dough, chocolate, and lipstick...
*Companies cut down the rain forest in favor of Palm Tree Plantations. Sorry for the blurry picture, the person with the window seat was hogging the window. The arial shot, unfortunately, shows a clearer picture of palm plantations taking over the island...
Malaysia is underperforming the broader market Emerging Market index (EEM ) as EWM has returned 13.92% versus EEM which has returned 17.68% year to date- through the end of May.
Singapore- is technically a developed international country, surrounded by emerging market countries. If you want indirect exposure to China, I would say Singapore is a similar play to Hong Kong, but Singapore is their own standalone country. 250+ banks have Asian headquarters or offices in Singapore, so it would also be a direct play on international finance and banking. The economy, GDP, and development seem to be extremely steady given the political stability. The major drawback is Singapore is a tiny little country, so this city-state lacks more room to grow and develop significant industry, outside of any services based industries... In comparison London and Los Angeles are both about 2 times the size of Singapore.That being said, the Singaporean economy is still diversified (see below):
Full Disclosure: Since having written this article I have initiated a long equity position in the Singapore ETF (EWS).