KUALA LUMPUR – The “Keluarga Malaysia” government policy is up to snuff and will reach its full potential if adequate time is given, according to a survey conducted by the Ilham Centre recently.
In a study titled “Public Perception Towards the Malaysia Government and Keluarga Malaysia Policy”, conducted with 1,211 respondents from Peninsular Malaysia, it was found that the Keluarga Malaysia policy initiated by Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was welcomed by the public.
Despite Ismail Sabri only being prime minister for 13 months, 75.8% of the respondents agreed that the spirit of Keluarga Malaysia is a vehicle for unity among the public, while 58.5% of the respondents agreed that Keluarga Malaysia is also capable of preventing disintegration in society or racially induced riots in Malaysia.
“The prime minister needs a full term if he wants to develop the ideology to its full potential after the 15th general election.
“Ismail Sabri’s achievements for 13 months should still be recognised as a successful term, considering the successful track record and significant development towards repositioning the country back on the right track.
“These are crucial components required for weathering the wave of economic gloom in the future,” Ilham added in its report.
With the rising cost of living, the survey showed that people are happy with provisions such as one-offs, subsidised price reductions, and government assistance, because they helped ease their burdens.
About 59.5% of the respondents admitted that the Keluarga Malaysia initiatives, assistance, and policies have benefited them and their family members.
As many as 49.9% stated that Ismail Sabri’s government had a clear mission that prioritised the welfare of the people, evident through the Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia, which brought benefits in a targeted and comprehensive manner to help the public.
At the same time, the Jamin Kerja Programme and PDRM Summons Discounts in Jelajah Keluarga were welcomed, as 82.5% agreed with the initiatives.
But when it came to measuring the government’s efforts through the Special Task Force on Jihad Against Inflation’s capabilities to keep the price of goods from increasing significantly, only 46.4% agreed, showing that the government is still in the early stages of overcoming consumer challenges in managing the price of goods.
However, some are still vague on the country’s direction through the policy, especially on how the programme could benefit them overall.
Meanwhile, the survey found that only 30% of respondents have physically attended the Keluarga Malaysia Aspiration Tour programme.
According to Ilham, this is due to a geographical factor, as the programme is usually hosted in densely populated areas.
“This implies that the Keluarga Malaysia Aspiration Tour programme should be continued and expanded to reach the grassroots level,” they said in a statement.
Ilham Centre added that the study’s result was influenced by when the country entered the endemic phase, which still sees the presence of trauma in the social fabric.
“The public encountered challenges such as loss of income and jobs, followed by waves of white flags because of movement control orders spanning over two years.
“From the political aspects, the political drama and struggles for power caused political fatigue, based on the series of power clashes.
“This is evident in the low public participation of the two state elections in Melaka and Johor, prominently linking the argument.
“The presence of the prime minister and his soft-line approach is less controversial, taking into account the role of the opposition, who had successfully influenced the political turmoil.”
The study was conducted for three weeks from October 20 to November 6, its main domains being the performance of Keluarga Malaysia, Ismail Sabri’s policies and initiatives, economic management, foreign investment, future aspirations, Budget 2023, Budget 2023 for women, Budget 2023 for youth, Budget 2023 for students, and the Keluarga Malaysia concept. – The Vibes, November 10, 2022
