Half of 1,017 respondents in an independent post-election survey conducted nationwide in July perceive that corruption exists at all levels of government from district to federal levels.

Of the remaining 50 percent, 12 percent were of the opinion that corruption existed only at the Federal government level while 11 percent and nine percent perceived the scourge to exist only at local and state government levels respectively.

The survey was conducted by the Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research, in collaboration with the Institut Kajian Malaysia dan Antarabangsa (Ikmas) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

In a presentation to disclose the survey results in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Merdeka Centre Director Ibrahim Suffin said the poll found Malays to keep an eye on high level corruption (or politically-linked) while Chinese and Indian tended to be more concerned with commercial and local agency corruption.

"Malay respondents were more likely to cite either the federal or state governments as corrupt while Chinese and Indians were more likely to mention local government," he said, adding that the respondents included government employees.

He said the survey, carried out between July 15 and 21, also discovered that younger respondents tended to see the federal government as more corrupt as opposed to older participants.

Pessimistic

Asked who would be brought to book in the fight against corruption, 38 percent of the respondents felt that only 'small fish' would be caught while 28 percent said that 'big fish' would be apprehended. Twenty-one percent said both would be affected.

The survey revealed that those below 25 years of age (first time voters), urban dwellers and those from the lower income groups tended to be more optimistic about the government's anti-corruption drive.

This was opposed to older respondents, rural dwellers and those from the middle and upper income groups who tended to be more pessimistic on the matter.

Asked how well, the Barisan Nasional government was keeping up to its promise to fight corruption, 56 percent of the respondents said they were doing a 'moderate' job while 10 percent perceived they were 'keeping to the promise to a high degree'. Twenty-two percent replied that the government was doing a poor job.

The Merdeka Centre's July poll also found that overall concern for corruption in the public sector had subsided since the March general election.

In their last poll in January, 61 percent of respondents surveyed remarked about being concerned, about corruption compared to 47 percent in the latest poll.

"Those whose concerns have been allayed tended to be Malays and Indians as well as those residing in urban areas," said Ibrahim.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had made fighting graft as one of his main battle cry since taking over from Dr Mahathir Mohamad and this has been followed up with several high profile arrests, the most notable being of a cabinet minister and a business tycoon.