Public approval for Anwar, unity govt rises in second year, survey shows

theedgemalaysia.com | KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 23): Public approval for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim rose to 54% after two years in power, according to the latest polling published by the research house Merdeka Center last Friday.

The approval rating increased by four percentage points from 50% a year ago, based on the Merdeka Center survey conducted in early December 2024.

Merdeka Center noted that voters were generally satisfied with Anwar’s performance in several areas, particularly his push for more investments.

However, the assessment was mixed when it came to Anwar’s efforts to strengthen the economy.

Meanwhile, the approval rating for the Anwar-led unity government stood at 51%, up from 46% in November 2023, the survey showed.

“The tight spread between positive and negative responses was largely driven by persistent concerns about cost of living pressures and some anxiety over planned subsidy cuts,” the survey said.

The survey, conducted between Nov 27 and Dec 10, interviewed 1,207 registered voters, comprising 52% Malay, 29% Chinese, 7% Indian, and 6% each of Muslim Bumiputeras and Non-Muslim Bumiputeras from Sabah and Sarawak.

It assessed the government’s performance across eight key areas, including economic growth, cost of living, integrity, corruption, rule of law, assistance for financial distress, government efficiency, and ethnic relations.

Respondents were generally satisfied with the government’s efforts in all areas, with improvements ranging from 2% to 12%.

However, the satisfaction level for improving ethnic relations remained unchanged at 51%.

The survey also revealed that 53% of respondents believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, compared with 54% a year earlier.

The main reasons cited for the belief that the country is heading in the wrong direction were economic issues (47%), political instability (7%), and poor administration (8%).

Meanwhile, the number of respondents who think the country is heading in the right direction increased slightly to 39%, from 36%.