PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is the country's most popular political leader, recording the highest approval rating at 52 per cent in the latest Merdeka Centre public opinion survey.
He is closely followed by returning Umno leader Khairy Jamaluddin at 50 per cent, with former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at 36%.
Former economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli recorded an approval rating of 32 per cent, while Perikatan Nasional chairman and Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar registered 28 per cent.
Pas president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang garnered 25 per cent.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi recorded the lowest approval rating at 24%, with 61% of respondents expressing dissatisfaction with his performance.
The survey shows a steady 42 per cent of voters believe the country is moving in the right direction — unchanged from December 2025 and February 2026 — but still higher than mid-2025 levels when fewer than four in 10 shared the same view.
Half of respondents, 50 per cent, say Malaysia is heading in the wrong direction.
Among respondents who said the country was heading in the wrong direction, 53% cited economic factors, such as the state of the economy, the cost of living, and fuel prices.
Separately, 73% of respondents identified economic issues as the single biggest problem facing Malaysians.
Satisfaction with the government's handling of the economy stood at 46 per cent, while 51 per cent expressed dissatisfaction.
Merdeka Centre noted that dissatisfaction on this measure had declined significantly compared with the overall trend throughout 2025. – June 25, 2026
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