KUCHING: Public approval for the Pakatan Harapan government is now only 39 percent compared to 71 percent in August last year, according to a nationwide survey conducted by independent pollster Merdeka Center in March.
The survey also saw 46 percent of Malaysians expressing satisfaction towards Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed’s performance. This is a marked decline compared to the 71 percent approval rating recorded in August last year.
The decline in public support for the administration can also be seen in the number of Malaysians who felt the “country was headed in the wrong direction” which increased from 24 percent in August last year to 46 percent in March this year.
Merdeka Center attributed the decline in ratings to three possible factors:
• The condition of the economy as it is perceived by ordinary consumers;
• The perceived performance of the administration; and
• Concerns over Malay rights and privileges as well as fair treatment of the other races in Malaysia.
“As a result, public satisfaction in the government’s management of the economy has fallen from 60 percent in August 2018 to 40 percent in March 2019,” the centre said.
Among the findings of the survey:
• Only 34 percent of voters believe that the country was heading in the right direction, compared to 55 percent in August 2018. This sentiment was more acute among Malay voters where only 24 percent felt the country was headed in the right direction;
• 40 percent of voters expressed satisfaction in the way the government is managing the economy now, down from 60 percent in August 2018;
• 46 percent of voters were satisfied with the prime minister compared to 71 percent in August 2018; and
• 67 percent of the voters agreed PH needed more time to fulfil their election pledges.
Despite the declines registered above, the survey found that an overwhelming majority of Malaysians (67 percent) agreed that the administration should be given more time to fulfil its election promises.
This figure also includes a majority 52 percent of the Malay community who had largely been more critical of the new administration.
