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NewsFocus/Attitude towards Government and Opposition: Confidence in prime minister and govt remains strong
25-Nov-2007, New Straits Times

DESPITE the spate of issues, public confidence in the prime minister's control over the government remains stable and positive. This finding in the Merdeka Center survey is perhaps a rough indicator of the Barisan Nasional's standing with the electorate as well as its likely performance in the coming general election.When asked what was the role the opposition was best suited for, the majority or 67 per cent of respondents felt that the opposition's role should be to provide checks and balances as opposed to working to form the next government.

That, along with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's current approval rating of 71 per cent, indicates that the BN's ability to hold on to its two-thirds majority in parliament in the coming polls appears to be in little doubt. The relatively lower approval figures from Chinese and, in some cases, Indian respondents over a number of questions that relate to optimism over the economy and some other subjects are possible challenges for the BN to address. A breakdown of the findings by race also shows that a significant portion of Chinese and Indian respondents want to see a stronger opposition. But Malay support for a stronger opposition -- tracked over the past 12 months -- fell, dragging down the overall percentage.

The survey found that support for a stronger opposition in parliament, in general, had waned due to increased Malay support for the ruling coalition. For many Malays in the rural areas, the rise of commodity prices, civil service pay hikes and the hope for better development via the regional growth corridor initiatives were among the factors driving their support, the survey noted. In terms of how voters will decide, the survey found that perceptions about economic issues, government conduct and corruption were three major considerations. A racial breakdown on what respondents felt was the important issue in the next general election, saw the Indians and Chinese giving a heavier emphasis to economic problems compared with the Malays. Malay respondents, on the other hand, placed the government's ability to solve the rakyat's problems much higher up on the priority list.