PH’s approval rating plunges As the PH government nears its first anniversary survey shows growing public dissatisfaction over its performance

BANGI: Only 39 per cent of Malaysian voters gave the Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal government positive ratings in a nation-wide survey carried out in March this year.

The ruling coalition did not fare well with the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research surveys, revealing that the approval rating for the PH government fell from 79 per cent to 39 per cent from May 31, 2018, to March 11, 2019.

The same survey also saw 46 per cent of voters saying they were satisfied with the performance of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the country’s prime minister – a marked decline compared to the 71 per cent recorded in August 2018.

According to the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research, the decline in public support for the administration could also be seen in the number of voters who felt the country “was headed in the wrong direction”, which increased from 24 per cent in August 2018 to 46 per cent in March 2019.

The decline in ratings are likely attributable to three factors – the condition of the economy as 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 per cent in August 2018 to 40 per cent in March 2019.

Only 34 per cent of the voters believed that the country was heading in the right direction, compared to 55 per cent in August 2018.

This sentiment was more acute among Malay voters, where only 24 per cent felt the country was headed in the right direction.

Only about 40 per cent of voters expressed satisfaction towards the way the government was managing the country’s economy, down from 60 per cent recorded in August 2018.

Close to 46 per cent of voters were satisfied with the prime minister’s performance, compared to 83 per cent in May 2018.

Dr Mahathir suffered a significant slide in public approval, down 37 percent, as the Pakatan Harapan coalition approaches one year in office.

This also represented a sizable drop from the 71 percent approval rating he scored in August 2018 as PH approached 100 days in government. Consistent with previous surveys, the state of the economy remains the top concern among voters, reported by 63 per cent of those surveyed, followed by concerns over race-related issues such as the controversy over the USJ Hindu temple relocation and the public debate over the proposed ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination ( ICERD).

When asked to respond from a fixed list of issue items, the survey found that concerns over unfavourable economic conditions as well as inflation or cost of living remained high at 54 per cent.

Concerns over racial matters such as the preservation of Malay rights and fair treatment of others stood at 23 per cent and concerns over corruption had declined from 33 per cent to 23 per cent in August 2018.

Despite the declines registered above, the same survey also found that an overwhelming majority of voters (67 per cent) agreed that the administration should be given more time to fulfill its election promises.

This figure also includes a majority 52 per cent of Malay voters who had largely been more critical of the new administration.

Based on the results compiled by Merdeka Center for Opinion Research, the survey indicated indicate a public that favours the status quo and thus requires a robust and coordinated advocacy efforts in order to garner their acceptance of new measures such as abolishing the mandatory death penalty or even the imposition of taxes on sugared drinks.

This particular survey was carried out by the between March 5 to 11 to gauge voters’ perceptions towards economy, leadership and current issues.

About 1,204 registered voters comprising 52 per cent Malay, 29 per cent Chinese, seven per cent Indian, six per cent Muslim Bumiputra, six per cent NonMuslim Bumiputra, (from Sabah and Sarawak) - reflective of the national electoral profile - were interviewed via phone.

Respondents were selected on the basis of random stratified sampling along age groups, ethnicity, gender and state constituency. The poll was funded by Merdeka Center’s internally generated financial resources.

Merdeka Center for Opinion Research was formally established in 2001 as an independent organisation focused on public opinion research and socioeconomic analysis.