KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 ― Respondents in Merdeka Center’s latest poll on Pakatan Harapan disagreed with most of the coalition’s key policy aims aside from its bid for harsher laws against insults over race and religion.

On this topic, 85 per cent said they supported the move compared to 12 per cent who were against it. The government is studying such laws following a raft of social media comments touching on race and religion that were deemed incendiary.

Over two in three rejected the federal government’s plan to abolish the mandatory death sentence, with just 22 per cent in agreement with the move, which may explain Putrajaya’s recent hesitance in introducing legislation in this direction despite previously strong remarks.

Support was near equal on PH’s ambitious plan to amend the Federal Constitution and lower the voting age to 18 as part of its bid for youth empowerment, with the nays just outstripping the ayes at 50 per cent to 48 per cent.

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The public was also disapproving of new taxes such as the so-called “soda tax”, with 55 per cent of respondents disagreeing compared to 40 per cent in favour of this.

The ratio was virtually similar to the Education Ministry’s proposal to do away with all examinations in Primary 1 to 3 in national schools.

Merdeka Center deduced the findings to suggest that while there was an appetite for a change of government in the 14th general election, this desire for change stopped there.

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“In our opinion, the results appear to indicate a public that favors the status quo, and thus requires a robust and coordinated advocacy effort in order to garner their acceptance of new measures such as abolishing the mandatory death penalty or even the imposition of taxes on sugared drinks,” it said in a statement announcing the survey results.

The conclusion could be a major concern for PH that campaigned strongly on reforms and remains under pressure from supporters to carry out more.

It also suggests that the federal government will have an uphill battle against both political rivals and public opinion if it intends to still carry out these reforms.

Merdeka Center polled 1,204 voters aged 21 and above from across all 14 states and Federal Territories via phone interviews from March 5 to 11.