KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 — Just a little over four out of every 10 Malaysians trust their local media and government according to an annual study released today by public relations firm Edelman, as the country struggles to deal with a string of catastrophic events last year.
Trust in Malaysian media suffered the biggest hit in the 2015 Edelman Trust Barometer, with public approval diving 13 points to 46 per cent this year compared to 59 per cent a year earlier.
This year’s approval rate was also lower than the 49 per cent measured when the firm first extended its global study to include Malaysia in 2012.
Trust in government likewise took a dive, hitting 45 per cent this year as opposed to its 54 per cent rating in 2014. Like the media sector, the government’s rating is also worse off than it’s 2012 rating of 47 per cent.
The study found that NGOs and businesses also faced a dip in public support though not as significant, as both sectors still maintained positive ratings at 67 per cent each.
Last year, public approval for NGOs was at 75 per cent while the business sector was given a 72 per cent approval rate.
More to come
