KUALA LUMPUR – Two-thirds of Malaysians believe the country is moving in the right direction after the new federal government came into power, according to a survey conducted by global market research firm Ipsos.
Its survey, titled “What Worries Malaysia showed” that public sentiment has recorded a steady increase since November 2022, peaking in January this year, before dipping slightly to 66% in March.
The remaining 34% of respondents are of the opinion that Malaysia is headed in the wrong direction.
“After five months with the new government, two-thirds of Malaysians believe the country is on the right track,” Ipsos Public Affairs research manager Iris Ng and Ipsos Malaysia managing director Arun Menon said in a statement.
They added that while concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic have receded over the months, corruption, inflation, and unemployment have now taken over as the main worries.
The survey on 500 Malaysians found that 51% of respondents are concerned about financial and political corruption in the country, while 35% are worried about unemployment and jobs.
Both indicators showed an upward trend since January.
While inflation concerns showed a decline in the past couple of months, 36% of respondents still claim to be worried about inflation.
Separately, the survey noted that purchase sentiment among Malaysians have moderated since peaking in January following the 15th general election.
Only 47% of the 500 respondents said in March that they are comfortable making household purchases compared with six months ago, while just 43% are less at ease with making major buys.
“Pressured by inflation, economic confidence and consumer purchase intent are slipping from the post-election sentiment lift.”
The survey is conducted monthly in 32 countries globally using an online panel system. – The Vibes, April 20, 2023
