RESEARCH firm O2 Research Malaysia (O2) is targeting more than 10,000 respondents aged 18 and over from all walks of life and races to take part in the "Suara Rakyat Malaysia Menuju PRU15" (Malaysian Voices: On the Road to GE15) survey, which will be conducted from Sept 19 to Oct 9, 2022.
The survey is a collaboration between Media in Arms – an alliance of five media organisations – and three research firms: Ilham Centre, Centre for Malaysian Chinese Studies and O2 Research.
Media in Arms comprises Star Media Group’s English daily The Star, Chinese newspaper Sin Chew Daily, Malay daily Sinar Harian, local news broadcaster Astro Awani and Tamil daily Malaysia Nanban, which have teamed up to offer readers diversified and in-depth content.
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This multilingual, multi-platform and reader-focused initiative aims at examining the opinions of Malaysians regarding the coming 15th General Election.
Each research firm will conduct the survey with its own methodology – via online or face-to-face interviews.
Once the survey is completed on Oct 9, the three research firms will analyse and present their respective reports to the five media organisations for publication and broadcast.
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According to chief researcher Anis Anwar Suhaimi, O2 chose an online research approach or methodology to collect their data due to Malaysia’s high connectivity rate. Access to internet services in Malaysia went up to 98.6% in 2021, he says, which means that almost all Malaysians will have access to answer the questionnaire.
Anis Anwar hopes that the survey will also reach more diverse respondents online, not only from the different ethnic groups but also from the different states.
Even Malaysians who are currently overseas can participate in the survey, he adds.
The survey aims to find out what issues Malaysians are concerned about and want their representatives to address if elected.
"This survey is also expected to highlight the political sentiments of the rakyat, not only their level of support for the competing political parties but also the main factors that influence voters at the ballot box including the party's image and candidates personality,” says Anis Anwar, explaining that they have taken into account important factors that influence voting patterns in the selection of questions for the survey.
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"Opinion polls like this should be carried out periodically.
“It will not only increase the involvement of the people in determining the country's direction but it also act as an indicator and yardstick for political leaders to prioritise the aspirations and voices of the people, especially in the formulation of national policies,” he says.
The findings will also enable the rakyat to evaluate the current stance of their fellow Malaysians in relation to the democratic process and the current direction of the country, he notes.
“We really hope as many people as possible will take part in the survey so that the sample size is large and represents the Malaysian population as a whole," Anis Anwar says. – Media in Arms
Do the survey here: Suara Rakyat Malaysia Menuju PRU15
Speak your mind and make your choice!