KUALA LUMPUR — About 42% of respondents from the six states that held polls on August 12 – Selangor, Penang, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu – are satisfied with the performance of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim so far.
Based on findings from a study conducted by research house Ilham Centre, the Chinese community gave the highest rating to Anwar with a whopping 88%, followed by Indians (81%), and other ethnicities (75%).
However, Ilham Centre executive director Muhamad Hisommudin Bakar also revealed that the Malay community had given a lower rating of only 24%.
“Holistically, 42% (of respondents from the six states) agreed with Anwar’s performance. Taking the magnitude of Malay voters into account, the figure is reasonable,” he said when presenting the research findings at Universiti Malaya yesterday.
“It stands at a satisfactory level if analysed according to state or race, ethnicity, and age.
“In this research, we summarise that respondents’ attitudes in Selangor, Negri Sembilan, and Penang have differing perceptions from the states under the leadership of PAS. There are two clear dividing lines,” he added.
The research found that 41% of respondents from the six states believe Malaysia is heading in the right direction under Anwar’s leadership.
Over 40% of respondents also expressed their confidence in Anwar’s capability in building the Malay community’s trust to support the unity government.
Nonetheless, Ilham Centre explained that the results were influenced by feedback from respondents in Perikatan Nasional (PN)-led states, where their level of satisfaction towards Anwar was significantly lower.
While 37% of respondents were willing to shift votes to the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition due to Anwar’s leadership, only 33% believed in his ability to champion Malay rights.
The findings also depicted a split in sentiments regarding the economy under Anwar’s administration, with 55.3% disagreeing that it was heading towards recovery.
Ultimately, the study showcased that Anwar is better received in PH-BN states, but is more nuanced among the Malays.
PN’s narrative on Malay rights and Islam also appeared to have a greater impact in Malay-majority areas.
The survey involved 2,416 respondents in its first phase conducted between July 11 and 27, and 2,304 respondents in its final phase from July 29 to August 8.
Ilham Centre also disclosed that the respondents consisted of a diverse demographic and different age groups (18 to over 60 years old). — August 26, 2023