KUCHING: A big percentage of Malaysians are more concerned and fearful about job loss than contracting Covid-19, a study revealed.
Eighty-nine percent of the study respondents said they were more worried about their job security while 77 percent said contracting Covid-19 was not their top most concern.
The survey — The 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer — was carried out by a research firm Edelman Data & Intelligence (Dxl) between Oct 19 and Nov 19 last year. The Edelmen’s 21st annual trust and credibility survey consists of 30-minute online interviews.
Cyber security fears notched 77 percent while concern for climate change was 76 percent.
The study also showed that in a year of mandatory stay-at-home orders, 71 percent were worried about losing their personal freedom.
Sixty-five percent of the respondents expressed fear that the pandemic would accelerate job loss due to automation, while more than half of respondents (53 percent) witnessed layoffs or reductions of workers at their workplaces.
This trend, however, is not unique to Malaysia, as inequities are deepening around the world with over 62 percent of the global population agreeing that those with less money, education and fewer resources seem to be unfairly burdened with the most suffering, risk of illness and need to sacrifice during the ongoing pandemic.
The study suggested that Malaysian government’s intervention with various stimulus packages for the B40 group over the past year was thus timely in addressing the concerns.
The study said this year’s findings highlighted the triple crises of the Covid-19 pandemic, the related economic downturn and the urgent need to address foundational societal issues, alongside an epidemic of misinformation and widespread mistrust of societal institutions and leaders around the world.
The latest findings were launched recently at a webinar hosted by Edelman featuring a keynote address from Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy).
Based on the findings of the study, despite a challenging year due to social and economic uncertainties, trust in all Malaysian institutions – government, business, media, and NGOs – has increased as a result of assertive action in response to the pandemic.
Malaysia achieved an average Trust Index score of 66 points, rising by six points from last year and climbing two spots to the seventh position on the Global Trust Index ranking. Malaysia’s Trust Index was higher than the APAC (62 points) and Global (56 points) averages.
The country’s encouraging results were propelled by affirmative institutional action in managing the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic challenge.
