KUALA LUMPUR – Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin are among the frontrunners in a survey naming those favoured for the prime minister post.
Conducted by the Endeavour-MGC Research Centre, the survey involved 3,279 registered voters across all parliamentary constituencies in Peninsular Malaysia, with 16% naming Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Anwar as the best choice for prime minister.
Umno Rembau MP Khairy came second with 12% support from those surveyed.
The survey was conducted from July 23 to August 15.
However, when grouped according to political coalition, Endeavour-MGC’s report said the results show a “clear desire” for a figure from BN to be in the national top post.
Overall, 46% of the survey participants voted for BN leaders to be prime minister, compared with those from other coalitions.
PH figureheads garnered 24% support, followed by Perikatan Nasional (PN) with 17%.
Within BN, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob – who is also Umno vice-president – followed closely behind Khairy with 9% of votes, while incarcerated former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak obtained the backing of 8% of respondents.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein managed to secure 7%.
Among PH leaders, DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng received 5% and PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli 2%, trailing significantly behind Anwar.
Within PN, coalition chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Bersatu president, tied with PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang at 7%.
Who should lead Umno, PKR?
The survey also questioned respondents on who is best to lead Umno and PKR.
For Umno, 23% of survey participants gave their vote to Khairy.
Hishamuddin and Najib both secured 15% of votes each, while Ismail Sabri and Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan followed at 12% and 11%, respectively.
For PKR, Anwar secured a comfortable majority of respondents’ support at 41%, followed by his daughter and PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar (16%).
Rafizi came in third with 12%, followed by PKR advisory council chairman Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (10%).
The research centre said that even though a significantly high number of respondents preferred a BN leader as prime minister, PKR’s leadership is currently “relatively more stable” than Umno’s.
“Umno-BN is not a runaway favourite to win the upcoming 15th general election (GE15) despite the fact that PH and PN cannot seem to forge an expedient collaboration for GE15,” it said.
“This is largely because current Umno infighting and potential GE15 internal sabotage can swing the election to PH and its allies, unless Umno and BN amicably settle a clear leader/prime minister candidate post-GE15.”
In July, Endeavour-MGC revealed in a separate survey that registered voters in Johor who did not turn out to vote in the state polls in March strongly favoured BN.
It had also accurately predicted a landslide win for BN in the Johor polls. – The Vibes, September 7, 2022
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