Survey: Malaysians confident country heading in right direction amid Covid-19 crisis

KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 — As the country enters the fourth phase of the ongoing movement control order (MCO) a recent survey has shown that Malaysians are increasingly positive that the country is doing alright.

Global pollster Ipsos revealed that 66 per cent of respondents felt that Malaysia is heading in the right direction in April. This is compared to 35 per cent in March and 46 per cent in February.

During the month of April, only 34 per cent of Malaysians felt the country was on the wrong track. The survey also revealed that in March, the top three topics on people’s minds were the Covid-19 pandemic, unemployment, and financial or political corruption.

At the time, 85 per cent of those surveyed considered Covid-19 to be a pressing issue, followed by unemployment at 43 per cent, and corruption at 30 per cent.

Globally, the spectre of losing one’s job or having no income remains tangible, as Malaysia ranks as the seventh most worried country on the issue of unemployment.

At the top is Spain, with 60 per cent of those surveyed worried about unemployment, followed by South Africa at 58 per cent, Italy at 56 per cent, South Korea at 55 per cent, Australia at 48 per cent, and Chile at 46 per cent.

The three least worried countries over employment are the United Kingdom and Germany, both at 16 per cent, and Poland at 18 per cent.

Ipsos' survey was conducted in 28 countries via its online panel system, and drew from a sample of over 20,000 people from the ages of 16 to 74.