The Malaysian Insider | KUALA LUMPUR, 09-Mar-2012 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s approval rating has surged by 10 percentage points to 69 per cent on the back of an improving economy and the cash handout of RM500 to low-income earners under the Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (BR1M), according to a recent poll.

Pollsters Merdeka Center found that the prime minister’s support was highest among households earning less than RM1,500 a month at 78 per cent with four-fifths of Indians and 74 per cent of Malays also giving Najib the thumbs up.

But less than half of the 1,022 voters polled in peninsular Malaysia last month said “they were happy with the government.”

Najib’s (picture) ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) is more popular with older voters, receiving 54 per cent support from those aged above 60 but only 39 per cent backing from those younger than 30, according to the survey.

“The findings also show that as many of one-third of respondents who were inclined towards Pakatan Rakyat (PR), reported satisfaction with the prime minister — indicating that such expression of approval may not all translate into votes for the ruling coalition,” Merdeka Center said.

The survey also found those in households earning between RM1,500 to RM3,000 per month, who also receive the BR1M handout, were mostly supportive of the PM and his government.

But approval for the incumbents decreased with earning power, as only 29 per cent of voters earning above RM5,000 said they were happy with Putrajaya.

Najib and his coalition remain least popular among Chinese of whom only 56 per cent are satisfied with the prime minister and just 17 per cent are happy with the federal government.

The Umno president’s popularity had been on a steady decline since hitting a peak of 72 per cent in May 2010, dropping to 69 per cent in November the same year before sliding to 59 per cent in August 2011.

Malaysia’s economy had recovered from a slight contraction in 2009 to record a 7.2 per cent expansion in 2010 before growth slowed again last year.

Reuters India | (Reuters), 09-Mar-2012 – Malaysians’ approval of Prime Minister Najib Razak jumped in recent months, an opinion poll released on Friday showed, putting him on a firm footing ahead of national elections that are expected to be called within months.

Support for Najib rose to 69 percent in February from 59 percent last August, according to the poll conducted by the Merdeka Center, the country’s most respected polling firm.

The firm attributed the higher rating to an improving economy, the disbursement of social funds to lower-income households, and security reforms announced by Najib in the wake of street protests in Kuala Lumpur last year.

The government has handed out cash payments of 500 ringgit to households earning 3,000 ringgit or less per month and increased pay and pensions for the 1.4-million strong civil service, a key vote base for the ruling National Front coalition.

“In our view, the rise in public satisfaction may be due to widespread awareness of the prime minister’s people-friendly initiatives and proposals to improve Malaysia’s democratic credentials,” the Merdeka Center said in a statement.

Najib, who has reached out to Malaysia’s middle class as a reformer, is trying to gain his first electoral mandate and reverse a shockingly bad performance by the ruling coalition in 2008 that saw the three-party opposition make historic gains.

Najib, who took over as prime minister in 2009, can wait until April next year to call the election but most analysts expect him to call it earlier, before the feel-good factor from the recent handouts fades.

The 58-year-old has toured the country in recent weeks to drum up support for his long-ruling United Malays National Organization and his government is expected to introduce a national minimum wage in the coming weeks — another potential boost to poorer families.

The Merdeka Center poll found that support for Najib was highest among poorer Malaysians, reaching 78 percent among households earning less than 1,500 ringgit a month. The survey was carried out between February 10 and 23 among 1,022 registered voters.

(Reporting By Stuart Grudgings; Editing by Robeert Birsel)

The Malaysian Insider | KUALA LUMPUR, 05-Mar-2012 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak expressed today his readiness to participate in a debate but stressed his opponent must be “reasonable” and not prone to raising “conspiracy theories” to win an argument.

The prime minister reminded that the country’s diversity could easily be turned into a “fatal weakness” if political leaders choose provocation over responsibility and fail to restrain themselves during such debates.

“And it worries me that far too many who say they want to lead Malaysia are unable to restrain themselves when they are engaged in debate,” he said in his blog today, without naming any individual.

“For them, no story, no claim or outrageous theory, no matter how baseless or fact-free, is off-limits, even if it does massive damage to the country’s reputation abroad and our domestic stability.”

Najib added that “some in our country” could not resist the allure of raising conspiracy theories as such conjecture could absolve their promoters of responsibility for their own failures.

“Cannot win the argument or get your way? Then it is so much easier to complain that the system is fixed than it is to do the hard work of finding a better argument or humbly admitting one’s error,” he sniped, adding that conspiracy theories belong in “Jason Bourne movies” and not in rational political debates.

The federal opposition has repeatedly urged the prime minister to take on its leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in debate, arguing it would be the best platform for both men to lay out their ideas and policies to help Malaysians decide who to vote for.

The invitation was again raised recently when MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng faced off in a political debate on matters relating to the Chinese community.

Najib, however, is yet to accept the invitation. This has sparked off suggestions that the prime minister was afraid of criticism.

But he insisted today that he accepts dissenting views expressed against him, adding that he would be in the wrong career were he unable to handle them.

“That much I accept. I am happy to argue politics with any reasonable man or woman and appreciate Malaysian’s lively political debate,” Najib said.

According to a recent poll by Merdeka Center, most voters in the peninsula want to see regular debates between the prime minister and political rival Anwar, suggesting that this would help them decide which party to vote for.

The Malaysian Insider | KUALA LUMPUR, 05-Mar-2012 — Most voters in peninsular Malaysia want to see regular debates between Datuk Seri Najib Razak and political rival Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, according to a recent poll.

Pollsters Merdeka Center found that 54 per cent of voters want the prime minister and opposition leader to go toe-to-toe, with over three-quarters of young Malays backing a debate between the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) chiefs.

In contrast, only 39 per cent of Malays — who make up the majority of the electorate — aged over 60 wanted to see Najib take on Anwar.

“While some argue that such debates are unnecessary and ‘not a part of our culture’, the findings suggests that it will help voters make up their minds as 62 per cent of voters who have yet to decide which party to vote for, support the notion of having debates between the leader of the ruling and opposition coalitions,” Merdeka Center said in a press statement today.

Of the 1,022 registered voters polled between February 10 and 23, 59 per cent were Malay, 32 per cent Chinese and nine per cent Indian.

The former deputy prime minister has repeatedly challenged the PM to a public debate on national policies and the country’s direction.

Umno president Najib has so far refused to take on PKR de facto leader Anwar in a debate.

But BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor appeared to open the door for such a debate, indicating last month the ruling coalition’s “readiness” to meet any such challenge.

His PKR counterpart, Datuk Saifuddin Nasution, responded by saying he would reach out to the Putrajaya MP to arrange the clash between their party leaders.

Tengku Adnan then said Anwar should instead debate Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, the opposition leader’s former aide who accused the Permatang Pauh MP of sodomising him.

Last month’s clash between MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng drew a full house of 800 and was screened on Astro in Mandarin as well as with a Malay translation.

This followed a debate between PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli and Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin in London.

Anwar’s previous calls for an open debate has so far been answered only once, in July 2008 by then-information minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, an event broadcast live on national television.

According to the survey, topics voters want to see debated include the economy (17 per cent), national issues (nine per cent), public welfare and development (seven per cent each) and combating corruption (five per cent).

The Malaysian Insider | KUALA LUMPUR, 10-Sep-2011 — The police’s handling of the July 9 Bersih rally was the cause of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s recent approval rating decline, Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon charged today.

Koh (picture), a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said measures taken by the police during the rally had given thepublic the “impression” that the government was “too restrictive”, and that this was not true.

“Certain announcements, measures by the police, for example, they have given the people the impression that we (the government) were too restrictive. When the PM offered a stadium and they chose Stadium Merdeka, police said no for whatever reasons.

“On hindsight, what the government should have done was immediately after the stadium offer, police should invite them (Bersih supporters) and… facilitate participants to go to the stadium… without affecting the traffic in KL,” he told a news conference here.

As a result of the police trying to “control” the rally, said Koh, the city had to be shut down and this “caused a lot of grievances.”

“Have to be honest, the handling of it has given that kind of perception, but it was not intention of the PM; when we discussed in Cabinet he emphasised people must be given the space for freedom of expression.

“A few announcements, measures taken although in good faith, interest of security, have given perception government trying to stifle freedom of assembly and speech. As far as I know this was not the intention,” he added.

Koh was responding to comments made by Dr Mahathir in an Astro Awani interview aired yesterday where the former PM said that Najib’s recent approval rating decline was due to his administration’s handling of the Bersih rally.

Dr Mahathir agreed with the findings of Merdeka Center’s latest survey, which saw Najib’s approval rating slide to its lowest point of 59 per cent since last May’s high of 79 per cent. He said that the government’s image was badly affected due to the strict measures taken by authorities in maintaining public order on July 9.

The former prime minister pointed out that Putrajaya had acted wrongly by banning people from wearing yellow shirts.

A Merdeka Center survey had concluded that the rating drop was fuelled by rising concerns over the surge in living costs and Putrajaya’s handling of Bersih 2.0.

But Koh said that proof of Putrajaya’s sincerity in addressing Bersih’s demands was through its “sincerity’ in proposing the parliamentary select committee for electoral reforms.

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers have basked in the aftermath of the survey results, claiming it indicated a clear voter swing towards the federal opposition, while Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders chose to stay indignant, saying the poll may not have been an accurate reflection of voter sentiment

The survey involved respondents aged 21 and above across the peninsula who were selected through a random stratified sampling along the lines of ethnicity, gender, age and state of residency. Of the 1,027 polled, 59 per cent were Malays, 32 per cent Chinese and nine per cent Indians.

Bahasa Malaysia Editor | KUALA LUMPUR, 09-Sep-2011 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s recent approval ratings decline was due to his administration’s handling of the July 9 Bersih rally, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed has said.

The former prime minister agreed with the findings of Merdeka Center’s latest survey, which saw Najib’s approval rating slide to its lowest point of 59 per cent since last May’s high of 79 per cent.

Merdeka Center had then concluded that the ratings drop was fuelled by rising concerns over the surge in living costs and Putrajaya’s handling of Bersih 2.0.

Dr Mahathir told Astro Awani in an interview aired today that the government’s image was badly affected due to the strict measures taken by authorities in maintaining public order on July 9.

He pointed out that Putrajaya had acted wrongly by banning people from wearing yellow shirts.

“This has been blamed on (Prime Minister) Datuk Seri Najib but I do not know what Datuk Seri (Najib) did by ordering that people could not wear yellow shirts.

“I do not think he would tell the police not to allow yellow shirts. But the fact is that those who wore yellow shirts were seen as enemies. This is a move by the Malaysian government and that gave a bad image to the government,” the country’s longest-serving prime minister said.

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers have basked in the aftermath of the survey results, claiming it indicated a clear voter swing towards the federal opposition, while Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders chose to stay indignant, saying the poll may not have been an accurate reflection of voter sentiment

The survey involved respondents aged 21 and above across the peninsula who were selected through random stratified sampling along the lines of ethnicity, gender, age and state of residency. Of the 1,027 polled, 59 per cent were Malays, 32 per cent Chinese and nine per cent Indians.

Dr Mahathir said that as a result of the rally, the Bersih 2.0 organisers had succeeded in what he called their objective of attacking the government’s image and Najib’s leadership.

“I feel that Bersih succeeded in achieving its mission to discredit the government’s image. They knew that if they did a demonstration, the government would place teams to prevent it. Because of this, the government’s image is affected because of its actions such as banning people from wearing yellow shirts and so on,” Dr Mahathir added.

When asked to comment on his own daughter’s (Datuk Seri Marina Mahathir) involvement in the rally, the former PM said that he respected her freedom to do what she wanted.

“I did not say my daughter had to follow me. They can think for themselves. Alhamdulillah, she joined but she was unharmed,” he added.