PETALING JAYA: Public satisfaction with the government’s performance and the country’s direction has declined in recent months, according to a new public opinion survey by the Institut Masa Depan Malaysia (Masa).
The think-tank group said the survey, conducted between June 14 and July 19, involved 1,605 respondents aged 18 and above across Peninsular Malaysia through telephone interviews.
“Respondents were selected via stratified random sampling based on ethnicity, gender, age and geographic distribution.
“Only 40% of respondents believed that Malaysia is currently on the right track, a notable drop from 54% in Dec, 2024,” it said in a statement on Friday (July 25).
Masa added the survey also found that the cost of living remained the most pressing concern among the public, with 53% of respondents citing it as their top worry — up from 48% in the previous poll conducted in December last year.
The survey also found that public sentiment towards the country’s economic performance has also turned more negative with just 37% of respondents said they were satisfied with the current state of the economy, down from 57% previously.
Masa added that based on their survey as for personal income, only 34% said their financial situation was satisfactory, compared to 52% in December 2024.
They said that on the proposed rationalisation of RON95 fuel subsidies, only 34% of respondents supported the move, while a majority of 51% opposed it.
“Among the reasons cited for rejecting the subsidy rationalisation were concerns that it would lower their standard of living (32%), lack of confidence in the government’s ability or mechanisms to implement the plan effectively (11%), insufficient explanation from the authorities (7%) and perceptions that the plan was being rushed (4%).
“When asked about the performance of the current administration, only 41% of respondents said they were satisfied with the Madani government — down from 56% in the previous survey,” it added.
Masa also added that public approval for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also fell, with only 33% expressing satisfaction with his performance, compared to 57% in December 2024.
“In contrast, Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin received a 41% approval rating, followed by Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (15%) and Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin (16%).
“As for their preferred candidate for prime minister in the 16th General Election, 33% of respondents chose Muhyiddin, followed by Anwar (25%), Ahmad Zahid (14%) and Hamzah (13%),” it said.
Masa said the negative sentiments captured in the survey reflected growing public unease over several new government policies, including the expansion of the sales and services tax (SST), electricity tariff hikes, the rationalisation of subsidies, and persistent concerns about the rising cost of living.
