By Sulyn Chong
SHAH ALAM, Nov 16 — Ahead of the 15th general election (GE15), Malaysians are now more concerned about socioeconomic issues, with worries about inflation having doubled since the 14th general election (GE14).
A survey by Ipsos Malaysia (Ipsos) done in October this year found that 43 per cent of respondents are worried about inflation, almost double the 24 per cent result obtained in April 2018.
Its public affairs associate director Lars Erik Lie in a statement said that poverty and social inequality are also some of the issues weighing on people’s minds more than before, with results showing 32 per cent this year compared to 25 per cent previously.
“Corruption remains a major concern among Malaysians (56 per cent in 2022), but not at the same level as it was ahead of the last election (66 per cent),” he said.
Meanwhile, Lars said that concerns about Covid-19 will unlikely be at the forefront even though it has been all-encompassing in the last two to three years.
Results from the survey by the market research company showed concerns for Covid-19 being at the lowest point since 2018 with numbers charting at 14 per cent compared to 43 per cent previously.
Lars added that Malaysians are expected to go to the ballot with a somewhat more positive outlook than four years ago.
“Some 45 per cent of the population think the country is going in the right direction (ahead of GE15), compared to 35 per cent ahead of the (GE14) national vote,” said Lars.
The survey is conducted monthly in 28 countries around the world via the Ipsos Online Panel, with a total of 500 respondents from Malaysia.
