M'sians feel country going 'wrong direction', post-GE

M'sians feel country going 'wrong direction', post-GE

Aidila Razak 5:34PM Dec 18, 2013 Malaysiakini

Most Malaysian voters surveyed by pollster Merdeka Center feel that the country is going in the "wrong direction".

Close to half or 49 percent of the 1,005 registered voters surveyed between Dec 4 and 12 believe that the country is heading south, compared with 41 percent who feel otherwise.

This is the government's worst showing since October 2008, the last month of fifth prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's tenure, when 45 percent of Malaysians were pessimistic about the nation's direction.

The findings released today also portray a trend of growing unhappiness since the 13th general election, after which more and more Malaysians expressed dissatisfaction with the country's direction.

In June-July, 37 percent of those polled said things were not looking good, followed by 41 percent in August-September, followed by the latest findings at 49 percent.

The post-GE gloom also cuts across all races, dipping pronouncedly among the Malays and Chinese.

If 70 percent of Malays surveyed thought things were heading the right way in June-July, only 56 percent feel the same this month.

Indians appear greatly disappointed

Remarkably, only nine percent of the Chinese surveyed thought Malaysia is on track, down from an already low 22 percent in June-July.

Indians, who had a surge of optimism between July and September, appear greatly disappointed, with only 52 percent registering confidence in the country's direction, compared with 64 percent in September.

Most, or 30 percent, attributed rising cost of living for their pessimism, followed by unfavourable economic conditions in general.

However, those who felt things were going the right way for Malaysia said so because of “improving economy”, rapid development and the peaceful state of the country.

Merdeka Center said the foreboding sentiments were driven by the cut in fuel subsidies, announcement of the introduction of the goods and services tax in April 2015 plus the impending electricity tariff hike in January 2014.

“Concern over the economy, particularly in the form of rising costs and inflation, rose to its highest ever recorded level of up to 67 percent of all respondents,” it said.