2011-2015

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.

The Malaysian Insider | KUALA LUMPUR, 03-Sep-2011 — Independent pollster Merdeke Center today defended its latest survey on Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s approval rating, saying 59 per cent is a “comfortable” figure considering the country’s present economic condition.

Its director Ibrahim Suffian said it would be “unreasonable” to expect a higher rating amid the surging inflation rate and incessant influx of socio-economic issues currently plaguing Malaysians.

“In general, the survey results showing satisfaction towards the PM at 59 per cent is a position that is still considered positive and comfortable.

“This is because voter sentiment changes the most when a big incident occurs, one that earns wide media coverage,” he said in an email statement here, likely referring to the tumultuous July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally.

Merdeka Center’s latest survey saw the prime minister’s approval rating slide to its lowest point since last May’s high of 79 per cent, fuelled by rising concerns over the surge in living costs and his government’s handling of the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally.

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers basked in the aftermath of the 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.

Ibrahim disputed criticisms of Merdeka Center’s sampling methods and survey accuracy, pointing out that the same system had been employed last year when Najib’s rating hit a high of 72 per cent in May.

“We understand the political need in the statements made. But the survey results do not mirror anything else apart from the people’s sentiment towards the subject matter while the survey is being carried out.

“What should be taken away from this is what measures should be taken to ensure the situation changes … such as, improving the quality of public service,” he said.

The survey, released last week, involved respondents aged 21 and above across the peninsula who were selected through a random stratified sampling method 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.

“The accuracy of the study is actually based on how far the sample represents the people and not on the number of respondents. That is why we were very careful to ensure that the respondents we interviewed were representative of the voter population as well as take into consideration the limitations of conducting phone interviews,” said Ibrahim.

He added that the same method has been used since 2003 to gauge voter sentiment and has since produced reasonably accurate results.

A similar survey in 2006, he pointed out, had shown a significant swing in Chinese voter support towards the federal opposition as well as voter sentiment before the Election 2008 tsunami.

asiaone.com | KUALA LUMPUR, 02-Sep-2011 : Barisan Nasional leaders criticised the poll on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak by Merdeka Center for Opinion Research as being an inaccurate representation of his popularity. They said the poll was inaccurate because of the methods used to gather the survey results.

They also said the results did not reflect reality, as thousands had flocked to see Najib during his public visits.

The centre’s figures showed that Najib’s popularity had dropped by six per cent in May to 59 per cent now.

Umno supreme council member Datuk Idris Haron said the results depended heavily on the perspectives of the 1,000-odd respondents.

“We do not know if the centre based its questions on Najib’s performance as an administrator for policies, as BN’s chairman or as a citizen.”

The Tangga Batu member of parliament said the sampling techniques were also questionable as the details were not disclosed.

“For that reason, it cannot be regarded as an accurate gauge of Najib’s popularity.”

MCA vice-president Datuk Chor Chee Heung said the poll results should not be seen as conclusive and should not be taken seriously.

“The poll acted only as a guide at best and was by no means exhaustive or final. It is not worth losing sleep over,” said the housing and local government minister.

He said “survey results fluctuate all the time”, and did not determine whether a leader was going to win or lose in an election.

“If the samples were not collected across the board, the results will not be accurate as they do not reflect the entire nation’s wishes or opinions.”

MIC information chief P. Kama-lanathan said the accuracy of polls depended on how they were carried out and where.

He said the sampling of 1,027 people did not reflect the opinions of a majority of the nation’s 28 million population.

“Also, the locations in which the poll was conducted were unknown,” said the Hulu Selangor MP.

He said if a survey on Najib’s popularity was conducted in an opposition stronghold, the results would be against him.

Sabah Barisan Nasional secretary Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan read the poll results in a more positive light.

He said the results represented a big achievement for Najib and his administration.

“As we know, over the past few months, the opposition has mounted a rigorous anti-Najib campaign and that has given a negative perception of him,” said the Kota Belud MP.

“So, it could be a bleep on the radar, but I think the prime minister has been consistent in his approach, and over time, as we approach the election, I think the true support for the prime minister will materialise, and that is what matters.”

Parti Bersatu Sabah chief information officer Datuk Johnny Mositun said anybody could conduct a research and anybody could say that someone’s popularity was up or down.

“To me, the prime minister is doing his very best to strengthen the confidence of the people and to ensure the country progresses.”

Sabah Umno assistant secretary Datuk Masidi Manjun said results from any survey should be taken with a pinch of salt.

“While we respect the work by Merdeka Center, we need to accept the fact that people’s popularity go up and down constantly.

“The fluctuations depend on current events in the country,” said the state tourism, culture and environment minister.

Sabah Gerakan chief Datuk Gordon Leong said it was hard to accept the survey.

“I am not sure what kind of method they used in getting the opinions, but if you look at the reaction of the people whenever the prime minister visited Sabah, it was clear that he was widely respected.”

Opposition leaders, however, defended the poll’s integrity and said it was a direct reference to Najib’s popularity.

DAP chairman Karpal Singh said the poll results were a clear sign that there had been a shift in support for the opposition.

He said the number of samples collected may be small, but it represented a cross-section of society.

The Bukit Gelugor MP said last year’s survey results, which showed that 72 per cent were satisfied with Najib’s leadership, were well received despite being tabulated from the same number of respondents.

He said it was odd the government had accepted the poll centre’s results in the past, but had questioned the results this time.

“The results are not 100 per cent accurate, but they can still be regarded as substantial.”

Parti Keadilan Rakyat vice-president Tian Chua said politicians should not worry about poll results as they “go up and down”, but they should not be dismissed completely.

“The prime minister should focus on the reforms that he promised to the people,” said the Batu MP.

Pas treasurer and central committee member Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli, believed that the survey was balanced and could be trusted because it was based on facts gathered on the-ground.

The Kuala Krai MP said the dip in popularity did not translate into a gain for the opposition.

Hatta said a survey research needed only a small number of respondents across a wide demography.

“If a survey aimed to engage the whole country’s population, it would be called a census instead.”

The Malaysian Insider | KUALA LUMPUR, 29-Aug-2011 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s approval rating is now at 59 per cent, the lowest point since last May, fuelled by rising concerns over the surge in living costs and his government’s handling of the tumultuous July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally, a new poll released today showed.

Of the 1,027 respondents polled, 59 per cent said they were satisfied with the prime minister’s performance, down a significant 13 percentage points from 72 per cent in May 2010.Local pollster Merdeka Center reported the results in its latest survey conducted between August 11 and 27, revealing that the Najib (picture) brand took a severe beating in public perception following several significant events that rocked the nation, including the Bersih rally, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy II trial, the ongoing amnesty programme for illegals, the recent raid on a church in Selangor and allegations of Christian’s proselytising to Muslims in the country.

Since hitting a record high last year, Najib’s rating has been on a consecutive decline; from 72 per cent in May 2010 to 69 per cent in November 2010, 67 per cent in March this year and 65 per cent in May.

When Najib first took over the country’s reins in April 2009, his administration’s rating improved quickly on his predecessor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s flailing legacy from a bleak 34 per cent in March 2009, soaring by 31 percentage points to 65 per cent within just three months.

According to the pollster’s report released today, Najib’s scored the poorest with the Chinese community, with his rating dipping from an all-time high of 58 per cent in May last year to 38 per cent this month.

Only the Indian community grew more confident in the prime minister, climbing by four points from 65 per cent in March this year to 69 per cent. Malay community support dwindled marginally within the same period, from 76 per cent in March to 73 per cent in May and 69 per cent this month.

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

“From the survey, we note that the significantly reduced approval rating may be due to the increased concerns over cost of living related matters as ordinary citizens begin to feel theimpact of hikes in the price of fuel and electricity. Besides pocket-book issues, the poll result also suggests some linkage with adverse public perception of how the government handled events and public discourse arising from the Bersih 2.0 rally and other related events,” the research house reported.

The survey found that economic-related issues were among the respondents’ key concerns such as the surging inflation rate, low wages, the unfavourable economic condition and poverty.

“With respect to issues, the survey found that the public’s topmost concern remained the economy, mentioned by an aggregate comprising 38 per cent of respondents, followed by concerns over social problems at 10 per cent. Worries over political-related matters ranked third at nine per cent of the public mindscape, while concerns over public safety and crime stood at seven per cent,” the survey said.

A total of 51 per cent of respondents also felt that the country was headed in the right direction, down slightly from 54 per cent in May, while 32 per cent said otherwise.

Najib is expected to call for polls within the next few months and with Hari Raya celebrations in full swing, politicians across the divide have been in a race to woo Malay voter support. The prime minister recently signalled to his Cabinet that the next general election is near, telling them that he intends to hit the ground weekly from Friday to Sunday after the Hari Raya break to meet people and assess the political landscape.

He has also been focusing on the economy, doling out bonuses and cash to government servants, Felda settlers and the poor while talking up the investment inflows into the country through the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) under the New Economic Model (NEM) in what is seen as an attempt to convince fence-sitters to vote for BN.

But the recent harsh security crackdown on electoral reform movement Bersih’s July 9 rally has dented his image, prompting him to do a U-turn five weeks later by announcing a bipartisan parliamentary select committee to review the election system although there is no guarantee that elections will not be held before the reforms are implemented.

The Malaysian Insider | KUALA LUMPUR, 15-Jul-2011 — With race and religious politics intensifying since the 2008 general election, Malaysians believe that inter-racial relations have degenerated over the past five years due to distrust among the different races.

A survey of 1,013 Malaysians conducted from May 24 to June 8 by the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research found that only 66 per cent of respondents said ethnic relations were “good” — a 15 per cent decline from the 78 per cent who said so in February 2006.

It also found that just over a third believed that there was “sincere and friendly ethnic unity,” down from 54 per cent five years ago, and those that thought unity was superficial rose from 29 per cent to 44 per cent.

Respondents also said they trusted other races less, with trust towards Indians declining from 37 to 31 per cent, Chinese decreasing from 47 to 42 per cent and belief towards Malays dropping marginally from 66 to 65 per cent.

“A significant factor noted in this particular query was the high level of distrust reported by respondents in their fellow Malaysians from a different ethnic background.

“In our view, the survey findings reflect a significant shift in Malaysian publicthinking — the optimism of the mid-2000s appears to have given way to increased insecurities and distrust, which is in part due to the current competitive political environment,” the Merdeka Center said.

Recent years have seen communal politics being stirred up after the landmark Election 2000 — the stiffest contest in Malaysian history.

Calls for more meritocracy to be practised have been met by accusations of being anti-Malay.With Barisan Nasional (BN) losing its customary two-thirds hold on Parliament and five state governments, several political leaders have retreated into racial silos to drum up support.

Tensions between Muslim and Christian communities also came to the fore with the dispute over the use of the word Allah to refer to the Christian god still not settled.

An initial court ruling allowing the Catholic Church to use the term Allah had led to places of worship being firebombed in January last year, while the seizure of Malay-language bibles by enforcement officers has also seen Christian and Muslim leaders clash in the media.

A recent raid by religious authorities on a church in Petaling Jaya accused of proselytising Muslims exacerbated the distrust that arose after Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia and Malay rights lobby Perkasa accused the church and DAP of trying to turn Malaysia into a Christian state.

The Merdeka Center survey also found that only 36 per cent said that people were getting closer together and 82 per cent said they were happy to live in a multi-ethnic society like Malaysia, a 10 percentage point decline from 2006.

Only 38 per cent felt that Malaysians were mature enough to discuss race and religious matters openly, down from 46 per cent five years ago.

theedgemalaysia.com | KUALA LUMPUR, 15-Jul-2011 : The public’s confidence in the ethnic relations in Malaysia has shown a decline, with fewer Malaysians viewing the current ties as “good”, according to a survey by the Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research.

The findings of the survey which was released on Friday, Aug 12 showed the number of Malaysians who felt ethnic relations in the country was “good” fell by 12% from 78% in February 2006 to 66% in May 2011.

The same survey also found that the number of Malaysians who believed that ethnic unity (perpaduan kaum) as “sincere and friendly” declined markedly from 54% in 2006 to 35% in 2011, a drop of 19%.

On the contrary, the number of people who felt ethnic unity was “superficial” rose from 29% to 44%.

The Merdeka Centre said the opinion poll, via telephone, was carried out between May 24 and June 8, 2011 to gauge voters’ perceptions of the state of ethnic relations in the country.

It interviewed 1,013 registered Peninsular Malaysia voters — comprising of 602 Malay, 322 Chinese and 89 Indian respondents. Respondents were selected on the basis of random stratified sampling along ethnicity, gender and state of residence.

The survey was funded internally by the Merdeka Center for release to the public. This survey was a follow up of a similar poll conducted in June 2006.

“Compounding the perception that ethnic relations have taken a turn for the worse, the number of Malaysians polled who felt that people in the country were “getting closer together” declined from 64% in 2006 to 36% in 2011. Looking, only 37% of those polled felt that ethnic relations would “improve in the next ten years” compared to 43% in 2006,” it said.

It said it was likely the pessimistic results of the survey could be due to the intensified discourse in the media on race and religious politics as well as the impact of incidents that have taken place since 2008 which included arson attacks on places of worship, public debate over school text books and controversial statements by public personalities.

The findings of the survey showed that beneath the surface, it was a society still driven by distrust.

The survey also found that the level of trust placed on of the three main communities had also declined.

Overall trust among respondents towards members of the Indian community declined from37% to 31% while trust towards members of the Chinese community decreased from 47% to 42%. Trust towards the Malay community also declined marginally from 66% to 65%.

A significant factor noted in this particular query was the high level of distrust reported by respondents on their fellow Malaysians from a different ethnic background. For example, 60% of Malay respondents reported that they “somewhat distrusted” or “strongly distrusted” members of the Chinese community.

Correspondingly, 42% of Chinese respondents along with 16% of the Malay respondents reported distrusting “people from the Malay community”.

Unsurprisingly, the survey also found that adherence to derogatory racial stereotypes continued to remain persistent. Belief in racial stereotypes declined only marginally since the last survey in 2006.

“For example, belief in such racist stereotypes such as “The Malays are lazy”, “The Chinese are greedy” and that “The Indians cannot be trusted” declined only by 2%, 3% and 2% respectively. It is important to note that each of these stereotypes was believed by a majority of the respondents. Ironically and perhaps as a marker of how deeply ingrained these stereotypes are, even members of the stereotyped community also accepted them,” it said.

For example, 57% of Malays, 50% of Chinese and 36% of Indians, respectively report acceptance of the negative stereotypes of their communities.

Nearly a quarter of the respondents report that their views on stereotypes were shaped by their own personal observations along with a slightly higher number (26%) who said they were influenced by friends while one in five noted that it was derived largely by what they consumed from the media.

Overall 82% of Malaysians polled in this survey said they were “happy to live in a multi-ethnic society like Malaysia” however this represented a 10% decline compared to 2006.

The survey also found that public view of the Malaysian society’s maturity in handling racial and religious issues has also suffered during in the intervening years.

Only 38% of respondents agreed that “our society is matured enough to discuss racial and religious matters openly” compared to 46% in 2006. On the obverse, 55% of respondents polled agree that racial and religious issues are too sensitive to be discussed openly.

“In our view, the survey findings reflect a significant shift in Malaysian public thinking – the optimism of the mid-2000s appears to have given way to increased insecurities and distrust which is in part due to the current competitive political environment,” said the Merdeka Center.

urbanchristiannews.com | 14-Jul-2011 – The vast majority of young Muslims in Indonesia and Malaysia appear to disapprove of the traditional acceptance of polygamy but remain reluctant to openly support interfaith marriages or premarital sex, a new survey shows.

The findings indicate that opinions among the young in both Muslim-majority nations “have shifted from the traditional viewpoint that sees polygamy as an Islamic precept,” according to a survey summary released Monday by the Goeth-Institut and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.

The all-Muslim respondents who participated in face-to-face interviews last October and November were from 15 to 25 years old.

Indonesia and Malaysia have Southeast Asia’s largest Muslim populations, and polygamy has become widely debated in both countries in recent years. Women’s groups say many men who enter polygamous marriages neglect their existing wives and children financially and emotionally.

Activists estimate polygamous unions in Malaysia account for about 5 percent of new marriages. The practice is thought to be more widespread in Indonesia, but many marriages are performed secretly at mosques and are not recorded by the state.

Supporters of polygamy have recently set up clubs in both Malaysia and Indonesia, encouraging women to be totally obedient to their husbands and insisting the practice can solve social problems such as prostitution.

The rejection of polygamy among respondents in the survey was “remarkable considering otherwise overwhelmingly favorable attitudes toward social and religious conservatism,” the summary’s authors wrote.

Ninety-two percent of the Indonesian respondents and 62 percent of the Malaysians said they were unwilling to wed someone from a different religion, the summary said. “Even if they are willing to marry a spouse of a different faith, they wish for them to convert to Islam,” it said.

Only 1.4 percent of the Indonesians and 1.6 percent of the Malaysians polled said premarital sex was acceptable.

Researchers from Malaysia’s Merdeka Center for Opinion Research and Indonesia’s Lembaga Survei asked respondents about wide-ranging issues such as politics, their lifestyles and ambitions.

The Malaysian poll had a sampling margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, while the Indonesian error margin was 2.6 percentage points, Kuala Lumpur-based researcher Ibrahim Suffian said Tuesday.

SOURCE: The Associated Press Sean Yoong