Ex-PM Muhyiddin Yassin Arrested; Malaysians Believe Corruption is a Serious Issue
Tracking Global Events | 17 March 2023
In Early March, Former Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was charged with corruption and money-laundering, becoming the second former leader of the country to be indicted after leaving office, following former Najib Razak who is serving a 12 year prison sentence for graft. To better understand Malaysian sentiment on the arrest of a former Prime Minister as well as democracy and corruption in Malaysia, Premise deployed a rapid response survey across the country.
Insights
- When asked whether they agreed with the decision to arrest ex-PM Muhyiddin Yassin, 39% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed, however a significant minority (33%) of respondents said they were unsure.
- A significant majority of respondents agree that corruption is a serious issue in Malaysia, with 43% of respondents strongly agreeing and 41% agreeing with the sentiment.
- When asked about corruption in the region, 37% strongly agreed that it is an issue and 42% agreed. Only 3% of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed.
- Despite vast recognition that corruption is endemic in the country, 63% of respondents still believe that Malaysia is a country with rule of law.
- When asked if Malaysia is a free and fair democracy, 15% strongly agreed and 40% agreed. However, a significant percentage of respondents (34%) were undecided neither agreeing or disagreeing.
Methodology
Premise received nearly 1000 responses with a 50/50 gender split across all 13 states and 3 federal territories between March 9th and 17th. The survey utilized a convenience sample, a type of nonprobability sampling that is hyper efficient in dynamic events, involving the sample being drawn from the population that is ready to assist.
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