The Malaysian Insider | 27-Jul-2015 – Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s approval rating among voters in the state is at 74%, while 68% are satisfied with the state government’s performance, a poll has found, suggesting that the opposition will have an uphill task of wresting the Borneo state in the next election.

The sentiment cut across different demographics and ethnic groups, according to the poll by Merdeka Center, which surveyed 606 respondents through telephone aged 21 and above from April 10 to April 24.

“His approval rating is really very good. Only 13% are dissatisfied with Adenan. I think this will pose a challenge for the opposition as they prepare for the state election,” Merdeka Center executive director Ibrahim Suffian told a forum in Petaling Jaya today.

“The high rating is prompted by his promise to improve governance, address the economic and infrastructure needs of the state as well as being more robust and protecting the state’s interests.”
The survey showed that 67% Chinese approved of the chief minister, 74% non-Malay Bumiputera and 82% Malay Bumiputera.

Ibrahim added that the majority (67%) of the respondents had confidence that Adenan was committed to fighting corruption, and that the state government he led had the political will to do so.

Some 27% said that corruption had reduced under Adenan’s leadership, compared with previous years, while more than half (56%) of respondents felt the corruption level in Sarawak is serious.

“It is quite surprising how people change their perception over the state government when a different individual takes over. Just one personality can change the perception of the entire administration,” Ibrahim said.

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) political scientist Dr Faisal Hazis said Adenan’s leadership had created a “feel good factor” in Sarawak, and compared it with Malaysia’s reception towards Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when he first became prime minister.

“Adenan has been splashing a flurry of populist measures. He even planned to review the construction of mega dams, he met with environmental groups in his own house for a dialogue.

“He is engaging with critics, and it is a fresh approach,” said Faisal, who was also present at the forum, organised by anti-graft group Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4).

But Faisal cautioned that Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud had similarly started out with liberal policies when he was first installed as Sarawak chief minister.

The survey by Merdeka Center also found that respondents were most concerned about economic issues, such as the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST) (15%), inflation and rising cost of living (15%) and public infrastructure (9%).

Despite this, one in two respondents said they felt the state was moving in the right direction, and saw development as a marker of the state government’s performance.

Faisal said that it was “quite impossible” for the opposition to take over the Sarawak government in the next election, given factors such as the split in the opposition, Barisan Nasional’s (BN) solidarity, the “Adenan factor” and electoral fraud.

In the 2011 state election, BN won 55 seats to keep their two-third majority intact while the opposition won 15 seats – DAP 12 and PKR 3, with an independent candidate winning one. The next state election will be held next year. – July 27, 2015

Malay Mail Online | PETALING JAYA, 27-Jul-2015 — Economic issues weigh heavier on the minds of Sarawakians than any other issue, including that of their native rights, independent pollster Merdeka Center revealed today.

Merdeka Center director Ibrahim Suffian said that a recent survey of 606 respondents revealed that cost of living and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) introduced in April are issues that concern residents in the country’s largest state more than the issues of corruption or native rights.

“Most of the concerns are about the economy and this was just two or three weeks after GST was implemented and already it is felt by the people, economy is top concern.

“For many of our friends and colleagues in the civil society particularly about land rights, land rights do not figure very prominently. The issue of protecting native rights is fifth on the list,” he said at The Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) forum here titled “C4 Good Governance Survey and Forum.”

Malay Mail Online | KUALA LUMPUR, 17-Apr-2015 ― Sixty-nine per cent of Malaysians said they were uninformed on controversies surrounding 1 Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), according to study by independent pollster Merdeka Center and business radio channel BFM.

The result of the study released today also showed that nearly three-quarters of Malaysians did not even know the role played by the Putrajaya-owned strategic investment fund.

Despite that, nearly half of the respondents, or 49 per cent, expressed their lack of confidence in the government’s handling of the 1MDB issue.

Illustrating the opacity of the controversy, 52 per cent said they have no idea who should be held responsible for 1MDB’s issues. Just 18 per cent thought the prime minister should be accountable, while 16 per cent blamed the government.

“In our opinion, the lack of awareness of the 1MDB issue stems from the relatively complex nature of the issue as well as the lack of coverage in the mainstream media,” said a press release which accompanied the poll result.

“Malaysian political history is awash with past instances of alleged financial scandals over which a considerable amount of public funds were committed towards their rehabilitation,” it added.

“Perhaps the country’s small tax base (less than 20 per cent) means that the vast majority of citizens are not invested in the impact of the government’s pecuniary conduct hence did not follow the issue closely.”

Merdeka Center said it found that those who lacked awareness of the 1MDB matter were mostly low-income voters without internet access, who also made up the majority of voters.

Malay voters were the least informed about 1MDB’s role, with 81 per cent saying they were unaware, followed by those without internet access (87 per cent), households earning below RM3,000 monthly (87 per cent), and those who relied on the mainstream media for news (65 per cent).

One in three respondents said they were affected by the 1MDB scandal, mostly from the upper income households, ethnic Chinese voters, and those from the private sector and business owners.

The survey polled 1,011 registered voters between March 12 and 27 this year, comprising 60 per cent Malays, 30 per cent ethnic Chinese, and 10 per cent ethnic Indians.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak last month ordered the Auditor-General and Public Accounts Committee to investigate 1MDB, amid growing demands for explanations over the firm’s allegedly opaque investment decisions and for amassing a reported RM42 billion debt pile.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar also had announced that a high-powered team comprising officials from the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the police will investigate any wrongdoing discovered in 1MDB.

The Malaysian Insider | 17-Apr-2015 – Nearly half of voters polled in a recent survey said they lacked confidence in the government’s handing of financial scandals involving Putrajaya’s strategic development fund, 1Malaysia Development Bhd, while 33% said they were unsure.

Only 18% expressed confidence in the government’s ability to handle the issue, the survey by independent pollster Merdeka Center and business radio station BFM found.

Overall, the survey revealed that younger voters were more likely to report a lack of confidence in Putrajaya’s handling of the debt-ridden fund, compared with older voters. (see graphic below)

Those who reported having no confidence among younger voters were 57% compared with 40% among those 60 years old and above.

Meanwhile, nearly 70% of those polled – comprising mostly voters from the low income group – were unaware as to what the 1MDB controversy was all about.

The survey also revealed that 75% did not know what the role of 1MDB was supposed to be.

This figure was highest among Malay voters (at 81%), those without internet access (87%), those from households below RM3,000 a month (87%) and those who relied upon the mainstream media for their news (at 65%).

Asked who they felt was responsible for the 1MDB controversy, 52% of voters said they were unsure, while 6% said they did not know.

Of the remainder, 18% felt the prime minister was responsible, 16% said the federal government, while 5% named the 1MDB management.

The survey was conducted between March 12 and 27 this year and involved 1,011 registered voters. They comprised 60% Malays, 30% Chinese and 10% Indian in Peninsular Malaysia and were polled through telephone.

The survey found that lower income respondents were more likely to answer that they did not know when asked about the government’s handling of 1MDB, compared with those from higher income groups.

It showed that 50% among households earning less than RM1,500 per month reported uncertainty compared with 21% among those from households earning RM5,000 per month or higher.

The findings also revealed  that 33% felt they were personally affected by the scandal, with this group coming mainly from upper income households, ethnic Chinese voters, and those from the private sector and business owners.

However, 36% felt they were not affected, while 31% polled said they were uncertain.

“Malaysian political history is awash with past instances of alleged financial scandals over which a considerable amount of public funds were committed towards their rehabilitation.Merdeka Center’s programme director Ibrahim Suffian (pic) said the survey’s findings on the lack of awareness about 1MDB was due to the issue’s complex nature, as well as the lack of coverage in the mainstream media.

“Perhaps the country’s small tax base, which is less than 20%, means that the vast majority of citizens are not invested in the impact of the government’s pecuniary conduct. Hence, they did not follow the issue closely,” Ibrahim said in a statement on the survey results. – April 17, 2015.

astroawani.com | KUALA LUMPUR, 17-Apr-2015 : A vast majority of Malaysians are still clueless on the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) issues, according to a Merdeka Center survey published Friday.

The survey jointly-conducted with business radio station, BFM Radio (89.9FM), a total of 70 per cent correspondents largely made up of  low-income earners – are still in the dark about the controversy while  the others said they did not know about the agency’s role.

To the question of who is responsible for the controversial 1MDB, 52 per cent said they are ‘not sure’, while six per cent answered they did not know.

The remaining 18 per cent viewed that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is responsible in overseeing the case while others agreed it (the case) should be placed under the purview of the Federal Government and 1MDB management.

The study also revealed that young voters are more prone to lodge reports on the lack of confidence in the government’s strategies in handling the 1MDB case compared to older voters.

Asked if they are affected by the 1MDB issue, a total of – 30 per cent respondents said they were not sure and 23 per cent were “not affected”.

The study was conducted between March 12 and 27 March and involved 1011 respondents aged between 21 and 50.

Sixty percent of the respondents were Malaysian Chinese, Malaysian Chinese (31 per cent) and Indian (9 percent).

TODAYonline.com | KUALA LUMPUR, 17-Apr-2015 — Sixty-nine per cent of Malaysians are unaware of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) controversy, and nearly half of them are not confident of the government’s handling of the matter, according to a poll by opinion research firm Merdeka Center and business radio channel BFM.

The poll result released yesterday showed that nearly three-quarters of Malaysians did not even know the role played by the state-owned strategic investment fund.

Despite that, 49 per cent of the respondents expressed their lack of confidence in the government’s handling of the 1MDB issue.

“In our opinion, the lack of awareness of the 1MDB issue stems from the relatively complex nature of the issue as well as the lack of coverage in the mainstream media,” said a press release which accompanied the poll result.

“Malaysian political history is awash with past instances of alleged financial scandals over which a considerable amount of public funds were committed towards their rehabilitation,” it added.

Merdeka Center said it found that those who lacked awareness of 1MDB were mostly low-income voters who had no internet access and who made up the majority of voters.

Malay voters were the least informed about 1MDB’s role, with 81 per cent of Malay respondents saying they were unaware.

One in three respondents — mostly people from the upper-income households, ethnic Chinese voters and those from the private sector and business owners — said they were affected by the 1MDB scandal.

The survey polled 1,011 registered voters between March 12 and 27 last month. The respondents comprised 60 per cent Malays, 30 per cent ethnic Chinese, and 10 per cent ethnic Indians.

Prime Minister Najib Razak last month ordered the Auditor-General and Public Accounts Committee to investigate 1MDB, amid growing demands for explanations over the firm’s allegedly opaque investment decisions and over its amassing a reported RM42 billion (S$15.6 billion) debt pile.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Abdul Wahid Omar said this week that the 1MDB’s failure to generate cash flow against its huge debts is a concern.

“Unless it can generate cash flow, it will not be sustainable,” he said.

The Malay Mail Online | KUALA LUMPUR, 04-April-2016 — Sarawak’s voters were overwhelmingly happy with the state government’s protection of religious freedom, a recent survey by independent pollster Merdeka Center showed.

A whopping 88 per cent of 815 respondents polled said they were happy with the Sarawak government’s protection of religious freedom, with this favourable sentiment shared by most of the Chinese, Muslim Bumiputera and non-Muslim Bumiputera respondents at 90 per cent, 91 per cent and 84 per cent.

Sarawak’s Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem had repeatedly made strong statements to assert the state’s protection of religious freedoms for its multiracial community, assuring Christians in March 2014 that he will never permit the introduction of any state laws to ban them from using the Arabic word for God, “Allah”.

Adenan had also said the Sarawak government will deny entry or deport those who attempt to incite racial and religious sentiments in the state, besides guaranteeing last April that his administration will protect the Sarawak’s people’s right to religious freedom.

In Merdeka Center’s January 2016 survey results released today, the majority of the respondents were as a whole satisfied with the Sarawak administration’s provision of basic amenities (66 per cent), provision of quality education in Sarawak (65 per cent) and protection of the environment (64 per cent).

Adenan’s administration was seen by respondents as performing well in providing for the poor’s welfare with 55 per cent expressing satisfaction, while 52 per cent were satisfied with its control of crime levels, management of the state’s economy and protection of the state’s autonomy stood at 52 per cent and 49 per cent respectively.

The voters polled were almost equally split in terms of satisfaction in rural infrastructure development with 48 per cent saying they were happy against 47 per cent, generation of economic growth with 47 per cent expressing favour against 46 per cent.

In four areas, those unhappy with the state government’s performance outweighed the proportion that felt satisfied.

Over half of the respondents were dissatisfied with the provision of reliable and quality public transport and the creation of job opportunities at 51 per cent and 53 per cent, while both areas of protection of native customary rights’ land and eradication of corruption in the public sector saw 46 per cent expressing dissatisfaction.

In an April 2015 survey by Merdeka Center of 606 Sarawakian voters, the overall top three issues which they felt needed the Sarawak government’s attention are fighting corruption (38 per cent), creating jobs (26 per cent) and improving public infrastructure in rural areas (25 per cent).

Merdeka Center said today that its self-funded survey was carried out on January 20 to January 26, 2016 through phone interviews of 815 voters reflecting the electoral profile of all 82 state seats in Sarawak.

It said the survey is eyed at measuring the voters’ perceptions of current developments in Sarawak ahead of the state’s elections, which must be held within 60 days of the state legislative assembly’s dissolution on April 11.

This year’s Sarawak election will be carried out with a budget of RM135 million and will see 1,141,294 registered voters being eligible to vote.