Survey shows 50% of Malaysians unhappy with Putrajaya’s handling of MH370 crisis – By Elizabeth Zachariah

Media members outside the Equatorial Hotel in Bangi, Putrajaya, where relatives of passengers from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 are staying. A survey by Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research shows that 50% of Malaysians are unhappy with Putrajaya’s handling of the crisis. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, April 1, 2014.

The Malaysian Insider | 01-Apr-2014 – As Malaysia continues to face mounting criticism over the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 – for instance, its lack of transparency and conflicting statements – a survey has shown that 50% of Malaysians are unhappy with Putrajaya’s handling of the crisis.

The survey, carried out by the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research, revealed that only 43% were satisfied with the way Putrajaya was dealing with the issue.

The results were based on a survey done on 1,005 respondents – 60% Malay, 31% Chinese and 9% Indians – through phone interviews from March 7 to 20.

However, approval towards Putrajaya’s handling of the incident varies distinctly according to racial lines.

But 63% of Malay respondents expressed satisfition with the handling compared with 30% who said they were not.

Malaysia has come under heavy fire for miscommunication, and the failure of search and rescue efforts for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, particularly from China. The incident has now entered its fourth week. Out of the 239 people on MH370, 154 were Chinese.

The families of Chinese passengers have continued to accuse Malaysia of mismanaging the search and withholding information even as authorities concluded that the plane had crashed in the southern Indian Ocean.

Opposition politicians have also condemned Putrajaya for the plane’s disappearance and have repeatedly called for a Parliamentary Select Commitee (PSC) to investigate the matter.

MH370 went missing on March 8 shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport bound for Beijing.

The search for the plane was first focused in the South China Sea where the plane was thought to have been but it was later determined that the plane made a deliberate turn back and flew over Peninsular Malaysia.

Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri was criticised after he said that the military did not respond when it saw an unidentified flight on its military radar as they had assumed that the air traffic control in Subang had ordered the plane to do a turn back.

A day later, he issued a terse two paragraph statement admitting that he had assumed that the air traffic control asked the lost flight to turn back, adding his assumption was not accurate.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had hit out at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for failing to “be seen to be hands on” in the incident which has captured global attention.

Today, Pakatan Rakyat MPs were upset over acting transport minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s decision to attend the Asean Defence Ministers meeting in Hawaii, instead of briefing them tonight on MH370.

Describing it as the “height of irresponsibility and an utter contempt of parliament”, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang (pic) said they wanted Hishammuddin to brief them, and not his officers. – April 1, 2014.

Malaysians are even more dissatisfied with Najib now, says Merdeka Center

The Malaysian Insider | 01-Apr-2014 – Malaysians’ dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak increased from 40% in December 2013 to 44% in March as Putrajaya faced heavy criticism over price hikes among other issues, according to a survey (see graphic below) by respected pollster Merdeka Center.

It also showed that Najib’s approval ratings remained unchanged at 52% last month compared with last December, while 49% thinks the country is moving in the wrong direction as opposed to 38% who think otherwise.

This comes after Najib’s government embarked on a series of subsidy cuts starting from September, leading to an increase in the prices of petrol, sugar and electricity.

The price hikes, however, have caused public anger, which culminated in an anti-price hike rally attended by tens of thousands of Malaysians at the Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur on New Year’s Eve.

In December, Najib’s approval ratings slid to an all-time low of 52% following the series of painful measures to trim Malaysia’s chronic budget deficit.

The survey is based on 1,005 respondents from Peninsular Malaysia, comprising 60% Malays, 31% Chinese and 9% Indians.

A whopping 70% of the Chinese respondents were not satisfied with Najib’s performance. In contrast, 65% of Malay and 59% Indian respondents were satisfied with the prime minister’s performance.

The respondents cited fighting corruption in the government and reducing wastage in government expenditure as the areas where they were the most dissatisfied with Najib’s performance.

Besides that, 57% believe that Najib had failed to understand the people’s burden in facing the rising cost of living.

The poll also revealed that the top four issues that the people feel need urgent government attention are corruption, inflation, safety and security issues, and affordable housing.

Also, 56% of the respondents said they were not satisfied with the government’s handling of the economy compared with 39% who are satisfied.

The Chinese formed the biggest group of respondents who were dissatisfied with the economy at 81%, followed by the Indian respondents (59%). The majority of Malay respondents (56%) were happy with Najib’s handling of the economy.

Merdeka Center noted that the percentage of respondents who expressed happiness with the government has increased from 38% in December 2013 to 42% in March.

“Perception towards the government improved the most among rural voters and those living in households earning under RM1,500 per month,” it said.

“In our opinion, the improvements could be attributed to the BR1M cash transfer payments to 5.4 million recipients nationwide which began at the end of February and through March 2014.”

The survey also showed that more civil servants, employees of government-linked companies and those who are not formally employed are more happy with the government compared with those in the private sector and who are self-employed.

Internet access also seemed to have played a part in the respondent’s feelings for the government as 56% of those with Internet access are unhappy with the government while only 34% of those without access are dissatisfied.

The survey also looked into the respondents’ perception of Barisan Nasional which showed that 52%, including 78% Chinese, 60% Indians and 38% of Malay repondents, were either dissatisfied or angry with the ruling coalition.

The survey was carried out from March 7 to 20 and issues, such as the conviction of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for sodomy and declining racial relations are believed to have influenced respondents, Merdeka Center said. – April 1, 2014.

Poll: Majority unhappy at gov’t handling of MH370

Malaysiakini.com | 01-Apr-2014 – Majority of Malaysians are unhappy at the manner in which the government is handling the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370 crisis, according to a survey by pollster Merdeka Center.

The survey found 50 percent of respondents to be dissatisfied at the crisis management, while 43 percent said they were satisfied.

The question was posed to 513 respondents between the period of March 13 to March 20.

However, approval towards the government’s handling of the incident vary distinctly according to racial lines.

Majority of Chinese and Indian respondents were dissatisfied, at 74 percent and 59 percent respectively. Only 18 percent of Chinese and 36 percent of Indian polled said they were satisfied.

In contrast, 63 percent of Malay respondents said they were satisfied with the handling compared to 30 percent which said they were not.

Younger group mostly dissatisfied, polls find

When broken down further, the poll finds that among a demography where the respondents are younger, have higher income and internet access, the majority are dissatisfied, while the result is reversed for the opposite demography.

For example, in the age group of 21-30, only 35 percent are satisfied at the Malaysian government handling of MH370, compared to 56 percent who are dissatisfied.

Likewise, for the 31-40 age group, only 36 percent are satisfied compared to 58 percent who are not.

But for age group 41-50, 51-60 and above 60, 51 percent, 53 percent and 44 percent respectively express their satisfaction with the government. This is compared to 44 percent, 41 percent and 44 percent respectively said otherwise.

For those with Internet access, 56 percent are dissatisfied compared to 38 percent who are satisfied while of those without internet access, 54 percent are satisfied compared to 39 percent who are not.

Sentiments according to income group are as follow: Below RM1,500 (58 percent happy, 34 percent unhappy), RM1,500-RM3,000 (52 percent happy, 43 percent unhappy), RM3,000-RM5,000 (29 percent happy, 60 percent unhappy) and above RM5,000 (27 percent happy, 68 percent unhappy).

Merdeka Center executive director Ibrahim Suffian, when contacted about the racial divide on the issue, said this could be due to the different language of the news they consume.

“Perhaps it is strongly influenced by media reporting of the issue.

“Chinese and English-language reporting online seems to be more critical (of the issue) while Malay-language reporting seems to be more sympathetic towards the government,” he told Malaysiakini in an email.

He added this trend is also reflected in various other issues.

Najib’s approval rating takes a plunge, Merdeka Center survey reveals

Najib enjoyed an approval rating of 65% in June 2009, shortly after taking over from Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. – The Malaysian Insider, December 18, 2013.

The Malaysian Insider | 18-Dec-2013 – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s approval rating has taken the lowest dip since assuming office in 2009, declining to 52% in December, from 62% in August, a Merdeka Center survey has found.

Two months after replacing Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as prime minister, Najib had a 65% approval rating.

The pollster said the survey was conducted between December 4 and 12, 2013, after the reduction of fuel subsidies in September 2013, and the tabling of the 2014 national budget during which the government announced the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 2015.

The survey also showed that Najib’s drop in popularity cuts across all races, with the most significant decline being among the Indians, with a drop from 76% to 57%.

Among the Chinese, the approval rate stands at 21%, after a 15 percentage point loss, while a seven percentage point drop, from 73% to 66%, was recorded among the Malays.

Merdeka Center said in a statement that concerns over the economy, particularly rising costs and inflation, rose to its highest ever level, up to 67% of all respondents.

The survey found that 55% of Peninsular Malaysia voters said that they did not  quite understand how GST will affect them.

Additionally, 54% of respondents reported that they did not believe in statements by government leaders about the country’s economic situation.

The number of those expressing “happiness” with the government has also declined to 38%, compared to 50% in August 2013, showing a significant reduction in positive attitude from across major ethnic groups.

Merdeka Center also released data from previously unreleased opinion surveys conducted in June 2013 and August 2013.

The latest survey, which coincided with the recent Umno general assembly, polled 1,005 registered voters comprising 60% Malays, 31% Chinese and 9% Indians through telephone interviews in the preferred language of the respondents.

They were selected randomly, representing Malaysians of different races and genders.

The June 2013 survey had 1006 respondents while 1008 were polled for the August 2013 survey. – December 18, 2013.

Deficit-cutting measures take toll on Najib’s popularity, survey shows – By Zurairi Ar

In the survey by Merdeka Center, the PM lost popularity across all ethnic communities, but was hardest hit among the Indians, for whom his approval fell from 76 per cent to 57 per cent now. — Reuters pic

The Malay Mail Online | KUALA LUMPUR, 18-Dec-2013 — A series of painful measures to trim Malaysia’s chronic budget deficit has hit Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s popularity hard, according to a survey by independent pollster Merdeka Center that showed his approval sliding to a new low of 52 per cent in December.

Conducted this month and supplemented by previously unused data from June to September, the survey took place during a time when Putrajaya rolled out a fuel price hike, confirmed the long-delayed Goods and Services Tax (GST), eliminated price support for sugar, and announced an increase to power tariffs next year — all of which have angered Malaysians already struggling with rising cost of living.

News is also swirling now of extensive toll rate increases next year.

Sixty-seven per cent of respondent cited worsening costs and inflation as their main grouses.

In the survey, Najib also lost popularity across all ethnic communities, but was hardest hit among the Indians, for whom his approval fell from 76 per cent to 57 per cent now.

The PM’s approval also slid further among the Chinese community, coming in at 21 per cent after a loss of 15 percentage points.

More from Malay community also joined in the disapproval, with Najib getting the nod from 66 per cent of the group, down from 73 per cent previously.

Malaysia embarked on a series of subsidy cuts in September, starting with raising the pump price of RON95 petrol and diesel by RM0.20/L starting September 3, to RM2.10 and RM2.00 per litre respectively.

Postponed prior to Election 2013, the so-called subsidy rationalisation programmed was resumed after ratings firm Fitch slashed Malaysia’s sovereign debt outlook from “Stable” to “Negative” in July.

In Budget 2014, Putrajaya finally confirmed the 2015 rollout of the GST and said it would stop subsidising sugar by the current 34 sen per kg, in a move that may cause cascading price hikes.

Starting next year, the electricity tariff in the peninsula will also increase by 14.9 per cent or 4.99 sen to 38.53 sen for every kilowatt per hour (kWh), and 5 sen for Sabah and Labuan.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said his administration does not adopt a populist approach but always endeavoured to expand the national economy.

Najib’s approval ratings were at 57 per cent when an earlier poll was conducted just after the May general elections.

The prime minister’s ratings later rose up to 62 per cent, but have tumbled in the latest survey.

A total of 1,005 eligible voters across all states in Peninsula Malaysia were interviewed via telephone for the Merdeka Center survey.

– See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/deficit-cutting-measures-take-toll-on-najibs-popularity-survey-shows#sthash.yAC1bNWT.dpuf

Reforms Dent Malaysian Prime Minister’s Popularity – By Abhrajit Gangopadhyay and Jason Ng

The Wall Street Journal | KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, 18-Dec-2013 —The Malaysian government’s recent drive to narrow a persistent budget deficit has put a dent in Prime Minister Najib Razak’s popularity, with the majority of those surveyed in a recent poll saying the country is headed in the wrong direction.

The survey, released Wednesday by independent pollster Merdeka Center, showed that 52% of poll respondents approved of Mr. Najib’s leadership, a significant drop from the 62% approval rating he achieved in June.

In response to the poll, a government spokesman said, “to keep Malaysia’s economy strong, we need to keep our public spending in check. In the short term, this will be unpopular with some.”Conducted via telephone interview between Dec. 4 and Dec. 12, the poll collected responses from 1,005 voters in peninsular Malaysia. Malaysians in Sabah and Sarawak states on Borneo Island, where Mr. Najib’s governing United Malays Nationalist Organization enjoys strong support, were not surveyed. The survey estimates a margin of error at 3.09%.

Among the various questions asked, including how people perceived the economy and what issues they were most worried about, higher living costs topped respondents’ concerns, with 67% saying they were worried about rising inflation.

Inflation has accelerated since May, when the ruling coalition led by Mr. Najib won a majority in a hotly contested general election. In November, consumer prices rose by 2.9% from a year earlier, gaining pace from a 1.8% rise in May.

The survey comes just months after Mr. Najib cut fuel subsidies in September and announced hikes in power tariffs that will become effective next month. In October he withdrew subsidies on sugar.

Those measures are aimed at reining in a budget deficit that has narrowed but failed to move to surplus since the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 1990s, due largely to subsidies that account for a huge chunk of government spending. International rating agencies have frequently voiced concern that Malaysia’s fiscal health is being jeopardized as the costly subsidies strain government finances.

Given recent moves to reform the economy, government officials say they expect Malaysia’s economy to grow between 5.0% and 5.5% in 2014 – faster than the 4.5%-5.0% expected this year.

It is widely-expected by economists that the government will raise fuel prices at least twice next year to achieve a goal of shrinking its subsidy bill by nearly 16%. But those subsidy cuts have added to voters’ fears that the cost of living will increase over the next year.

Mr. Najib’s drop in popularity extends to public perceptions of his government. Only 38% of survey respondents across Malaysia’s three major ethnic groups said they are happy with the government, compared to 50% in June.

The erosion in perception was steepest among ethnic Malays, who make up the country’s majority and have long benefitted from policies that provide them with preferential access to universities and housing. According to the Merdeka survey, only 52% of Malays say they’re in favor of the government compared to 67% in August. Opinions among ethnic Chinese slipped to 10% from 15% during the same period, while ethnic Indians’ perceptions dropped by 12 percentage points, to 40%.

Yeah Kim Leng, the chief economist at RAM Holdings Bhd, one of two local rating agencies, said the key to balancing public opinion and pushing through reforms was to “stabilize prices and sustain economic growth.”

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak addresses delegates of the ruling party, United Malays National Organisation, on Dec. 5 in Kuala Lumpur.

He suggested that the government stagger the various subsidy reductions it has planned “to avoid bunching together price shocks that would create a spike in inflation.”

Much of the current resentment felt toward the government comes from the decision to reduce fuel subsidies by 10.5% back in September, but other policies have also made citizens unhappy.

In his October budget announcement Mr. Najib said a new goods and services tax would be introduced in 2015 that would help boost government revenue, sparking concerns among some citizens who fear the new 6% consumption-based tax would pinch their pockets.

Perhaps the most sobering indication of how voters feel about their government, however, came from a question about Malaysia’s future direction.

The majority of those polled, 49%, said the country is headed in the wrong direction, versus 41% who approved of where things were going.  The remaining 10% of respondents were either unsure or declined to comment. A similar question asked in a survey in late January had 37% of respondents saying the country was moving in the wrong direction, compared to 56% who were comfortable with how things were.

As promised, NST prints apology for its false report

Malaysiakini.com | 15-Nov-2013 – The New Straits Times today featured an apology to four NGOs for its publication of a false report last year, in which it accused the four, including electoral reform group Bersih, of trying to destabilise the government.

The half-page apology, featured prominently on page three of the daily, was part of theconditions set by the NGOs Bersih 2.0, human rights group Suaram, Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and pollster Merdeka Center, for dropping theirdefamation suit against the newspaper.

Aside from the NGOs, Malaysiakini too was named in the article as one of the recipients of a share of RM20 million from Washington-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED) over a period of seven years from 2005.

The money, the NST report said, was part of foreign funding meant to “destabilise” the BN-led government by causing political unrest, similar to other Middle Eastern countries, and to bring down the nation’s economy.

Article ‘groundless and false’

In the apology, NST acknowledged that the report, ‘Plot to destabilise govt’, which it front-paged on Sept 21, 2012, was “groundless” and “false”.

“We acknowledge that the accusations above that we made in the said article were false and without foundation.

“We also acknowledge that we had no proof whatsoever to substantiate any of the said allegations and that we did not verify the information and facts relied on with Bersih 2.0, CIJ, Suaram and Merdeka Center,” the apology reads.

Therefore, it said, the article concerned “should not have been published”.

Besides the apology, which it was to publish within 14 days of the court settlement, except on a Saturday, the daily also agreed to retract its online article and publish the same apology.

It also agreed to pay RM120,000 in costs to the four parties.

Suaram: How the mighty have fallen

Suaram director Kua Kia Siong described NST’s abject apology as showing that the paper is a poor assassin.

“The apology acknowledges NST’s shockingly low standard of journalism, which has deteriorated far below that from the colonial times, when Straits Times used to command a certain degree of credibility, despite being an establishment paper.

“Today, it has sunk to a level of being the ruling party’s media assassin. And a poor assassin at that!”

Kua noted that NST published the false report on Sept 21 last year and that this was followed by the BN federal government’s vindictive campaign against Suaram, with no less than six government agencies investigating the organisation.

These agencies including the Companies Commission Malaysia, Perkeso, Bank Negara and Registrar of Societies, all of which harassed Suaram – and in the end admitted that their allegations did not have a leg to stand on, he said.

“Everybody can see that it was payback time for Suaram for having complained to the French courts to investigate the suspected commissions hidden in the more than RM7 billion Scorpene submarine deal,” added Kua.

“After such an ignominious day for one of Malaysia’s oldest newspapers, one can understand what Thomas Jefferson meant when he once said: “The most truthful part of a newspaper is the advertisements…”

 

Merdeka Center