A GOOD governance advocate has queried pollster Merdeka Centre’s latest survey which claimed that Malaysian voters gave Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim a positive approval rating of 55% in May this year compared with 43% in June 2024.
“All you have to know is Merdeka Centre is no longer independent,” reacted Perisai Waja (@PerisaiPejuang) on an X post.
“No right-thinking citizen in the midst of new taxes, subsidy removals, higher electricity tariffs – entering into an environment of high prices – would give this government high approval especially after promising the reverse.”
All you have to know is Merdeka Centre is no longer independent.
No right thinking citizen in the midst of nex taxes, subsidy removals, higher electricity tariffs – entering into an environment of high prices – would give this gov high approval esp after promising the reverse. https://t.co/PpjlAmtO5A pic.twitter.com/vd6dfbQOxX
— Perisai Waja (@PerisaiPejuang) June 24, 2025
According to Merdeka Centre, the survey on 1,208 registered voters showed that Malaysians are beginning to feel that the country is finally on steadier ground with political turbulence easing and PMX now leading a government with a two-thirds parliamentary majority.
“Institutional reforms like the revived Parliamentary Services Act 2025 also signal a return to principled governance,” the independent pollster focused on public opinion research and socio-economic analysis claimed in a statement on Monday (June 23)
Even on the PKR site on X, except for a handful of Madani government backers, many non-believers teased the latest Merdeka Centre findings as “over-relying on a small sample size” hence the outcome is nothing more than “syiok sendiri” (self-conceited/delusional)”.
55 peratus pengundi percaya PM, kestabilan negara jadi penentu.
Sumber: Merdeka Centre#MalaysiaMADANI #KEADILAN pic.twitter.com/Dd8y4ByDkV
— KEADILAN (@KEADILAN) June 24, 2025
Stating that the survey is “hard to believe” or possibly “a joke”, some sceptics suggested that a follow-up survey is imminent given PMX’s own party page has become a “laughing stock”.
On a serious noter, a few commenters wondered where the 55% figure was derived from “when the reality is that more and more people are losing faith in PMX leadership and unfulfilled promises”.
Even a Madani keyboard warrior who wanted to counter the “syiok semdiri” accusation levelled at the Merdeka Centre survey as the job of opposition cybertroopers was schooled by those who have lost faith in the Madani government.
“Adam, Najib (disgraced former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak) used to be like this before he lost; everyone said Najib’s popularity was increasing,” recounted one commenter.
“There was only one who said Najib would lose which was Invoke (research outfit founded by former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli). But at that time, you believed Invoke, not Merdeka Centre. But are you now listening to Merdeka Centre?” – June 25, 2025
“Syok Sendiri”
Ini sahaja yang mampu diungkapkan oleh Cytro pembangkang untuk menafikan pencapaian PMX @anwaribrahim dan kerajaan perpaduan.
Sebab itu mereka gigih anjur pelbagai demo untuk bina naratif kononnya rakyat benci PMX dan kerajaan MADANI.
Ini baru separuh penggal 👍 pic.twitter.com/pQifIXcKAW
— Adam Yusuf (@adamyusuf88) June 24, 2025
