US-based think tank Pew Research Center has found that 64 percent of Malaysians have an unfavourable view of the Islamic State (IS).

However, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin is less than pleased with the results.

"Not happy that Malaysia's unfavourable numbers towards ISIS not higher," he said.

Only 11 percent of Malaysians have a favourable view of IS, while 25 percent more said they did not know or refused to answer.

While these figures mean that the majority of Malaysians are against IS, the unfavourable view is much lower than that of other Muslim-majority countries.

Countries that are directly affected by the activities of IS, which wants to set up a caliphate in the Middle East through violent means, are the staunchest in their opposition to the group.

Almost 100 percent of those surveyed in Lebanon had a unfavourable view of IS while Jordan’s and Turkey's unfavourable view stands at 94 percent and 73 percent respectively.

These countries border Syria, where large swathes of territory have been captured by the armed group.

Of the 11 countries surveyed earlier this year, most of which have substantial Muslim population, all but one saw the majority disapproving of IS.

The exception was Pakistan, where only 28 percent had an unfavourable view and nine percent having a favourable view, with the remaining 62 percent saying they didn’t know or refused to answer.