Govt views Merdeka Center’s findings positively, says Fahmi

KUALA LUMPUR: The result of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s personal approval ratings slipping to 50% will be taken positively by the government, says Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil (pic).

He said the government acknowledges the survey’s findings, which he described as a “snapshot” of that particular period and will view it from a positive angle, with efforts to address issues, including economic concerns, being taken.

“As mentioned by the Prime Minister at the one-year celebration of the Unity Government in Putrajaya on Nov 23, next year, the government will focus on economic development, including improving people’s income.

“God willing, with the Madani Economy policy, the 2030 New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP), efforts to combat corruption and to improve government administration, including facilitating business and investment, economic growth direction is on the right track,” he said in a statement.

Fahmi, the spokesman for the unity government, was responding to media reports, citing Merdeka Center’s survey, that Anwar’s personal approval ratings slipped to 50%.

Anwar said he took note of the survey, adding the findings were based on 1,200 respondents, which was not reflective of Malaysia’s 32 million population.

Meanwhile, Senior Political Secretary to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, said the survey does not reflect the overall view of Malaysians but rather from only a group of respondents.

However, he said that in comparison, the approval ratings received by the Prime Minister were far more convincing than the previous governments, for example, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who polled 30%, and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s ratings, which ranged between 30 and 40%.

“For me, after a year, if indeed this survey represents the entire Malaysian population, we will make more efforts to ensure that the majority of the people, these 32 million people, will be well taken care of by the government,” he said when appearing as a guest on the Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme yesterday. — Bernama