A MAJORITY of Malaysian voters have given Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim a positive approval rating of 55%, revealed the Merdeka Centre's mid-term survey.
In a statement today, the centre said several factors may have contributed towards this positive outlook.
"Malaysians are beginning to feel that the country is finally on steadier ground, political turbulence has eased and Anwar now leads a government with a two-thirds parliamentary majority.
"Institutional reforms like the revived Parliamentary Services Act 2025 also signal a return to principled governance," it said.
In terms of the economy, government data indicates that inflation has cooled to just 1.4% in March 2025 - a three-year low - and economic growth hit 4.4% in the first quarter.
The government’s minimum wage hike to RM1,700, combined with festive cash aid for civil servants and ongoing fuel subsidies, has helped ease some public frustration over the cost of living.
"While the survey showed that the public’s top concerns remain the economy, the absence of price shocks despite the withdrawal of diesel fuel subsidies in 2024, has helped ease sentiments,".
Anwar has also enhanced Malaysia’s global profile. Hosting China’s President Xi Jinping and chairing ASEAN in 2025 gave him a diplomatic spotlight.
New investment deals, trade cooperation and leadership in Global South initiatives have bolstered his image at home.
"Still, bread-and-butter issues - not foreign policy or speeches - remain what moves the Malaysian public most.
"With daily costs softening and jobs more secure, more voters are giving the Prime Minister and the government the benefit of the doubt," read the statement.
Dissatisfaction towards the federal government stands at 48% compared to 58% a year ago. The tight spread between positives and negatives are largely driven by persistent concerns about cost-of-living pressures and some anxiety over subsidy cuts slated to take place soon, said Merdeka Centre.
It said that 50% of the voters surveyed think the country is headed in the wrong direction (compared to 61% one year ago), while the number of voters that think the country is heading in the right direction improved to 43% compared to 29% in June 2024.
"The major reasons for the wrong direction remain focused on trajectory of the national economy and the performance of the current administration,".
The survey was carried out by the Merdeka Centre between May 12 and 23, 2025 to gauge voters’ perceptions of current developments.
A total 1,208 registered voters comprising 52% Malay, 29% Chinese, 7% Indian, 6% Muslim Bumiputra, 6% Non- Muslim Bumiputra, (from Sabah and Sarawak), reflective of the national electoral profile, were interviewed via fixed line and mobile telephones.
Respondents were selected on the basis of random stratified sampling along age group, ethnicity, gender and state constituency.
Merdeka Center was formally established in 2001 as an independent organisation focused on public opinion research and socio-economic analysis. - June 23, 2025
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