ASIA: Malaysian PM Anwar's Approval Rating In Six States That Recently Held Elections Stands At 42%

The latest opinion poll conducted by Ilham Centre showed that Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's approval rating among respondents from the six states that recently elected their legislatures was 42%, albeit his support was very unevenly distributed across different ethnic groups.

• Ethnic divisions were reflected in the breakdown of Anwar's ratings. The Prime Minister was supported by 88% of Chinese Malaysians, 81% of Indians and 75% of people identifying with other ethnic groups. By contrast, his approval rating among ethnic Malays was only 24%. Note that ethnic matters featured prominently in the election campaign, with Anwar's multi-ethnic bloc challenged by conservative, pro-Malay rivals.
• The main opposition Perikatan Nasional boosted in presence in all six state legislatures, while the coalition forming Anwar's unity government (Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional) lost seats in each state. However, the elections returned a status quo division of states, with PH staying in control of Penan, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, while PN retained Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
• The Ilham Centre poll showed that voters in the three states controlled by PN were less satisfied with Anwar's performance. The Centre flagged the federal government's problems with demonstrating its record locally, as well as PN's dominance in social media. According to the survey, more than half (56.5%) of respondents thought that the previous administration was more competent than the current one.