Malaysia retains top 10 spot in Global Trust Index

Malaysia has retained its top 10 position in Edelman’s annual Global Trust Index amid findings of an overall decline of trust in government, businesses, NGOs, and the media.

According to the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer, which surveyed 28 countries, Malaysia’s Trust Index Score decreased by three points from last year, averaging 62 points.

“As a result, Malaysia dropped three places from its position last year, now ranking 9th on the Global Trust Index,” said Edelman Malaysia in a statement yesterday.

Edelman Malaysia chief operating officer Christopher de Cruz said while the global trend of polarisation has yet to be felt in Malaysia, a mass-class divide may arise from the current state of Malaysia’s economy if left unchecked.

“Since businesses are seen as one of the trusted institutions, there is an increased expectation and social responsibility to help improve the state of the nation, from an economic as well as a social standpoint,” said de Cruz, who is also Edelman’s head of crisis for Southeast Asia.

The online survey that polled at least 1,150 respondents in each country, revealed how Malaysia’s core institutions saw a decline in trust, with the government and media falling below the trusted region into neutral territory at 54 and 55 points respectively.

“While the score has dipped in the past year, trust in government is still in the neutral zone.

“To build greater trust, businesses and the government should identify their roles and work collaboratively to increase the nation’s confidence in the government,” said de Cruz.

Meanwhile, businesses and NGOs saw a slight drop in trust by two and one points with scores of 68 and 69.

Despite the decrease, Edelman Malaysia said businesses and NGOs are still regarded as the most trusted institutions.

A score between 1 and 49 indicated a distrust in the institutions, a neutral score between 50 and 59, and a score of 60 to 100 showed more trust from respondents.

“To create a brighter vision for the future, the government and businesses must work together to take measures to improve economic optimism and foster greater trust within the nation,” added de Cruz.

Collapse in optimism

The survey also found that Malaysians’ top five fears are consistent with those of other countries - slow economic development, worsening prejudice/discrimination, inability to address societal challenges, the end of democracy, and personal financial struggles.

It said one of the reasons cited behind Malaysians’ growing fears is the country’s weakening economic landscape, both in the country and around the world, seeing a collapse in economic optimism this year.

“Only 35 percent of Malaysians believe they and their families will be better off in five years, representing a 20-point decline from 2022.

“This ties in with the rise of citizens’ personal anxieties, which are now on par with societal existential fears,” said Edelman Malaysia.

Up to 96 percent of Malaysian respondents identified losing their jobs due to the nation’s economic decline as a personal fear, with climate change (82 percent) and the possibility of nuclear war (79 percent) being other persistent worries.

These economic views and fears are shared globally, leading to the onus being put on institutions to provide solutions to restore people’s economic optimism.

Lack of civility

To a question of whether core institutions were seen as unifying or divisive forces, Malaysians viewed journalists, business leaders, NGO leaders, and teachers as unifying, while the government was seen as divisive.

It was also found that though Malaysia is not severely polarised, there is growing concern about a potential weakening of the nation’s social fabric, with a perceived lack of civility and mutual respect.

There are also growing sentiments of mass-class divide and income-based inequalities with this year’s report showing an 11-point difference between the high-income class (66 points) and the low-income mass (55 points), which sit within the trust and neutral categories, respectively.

While still within safe limits, it was recommended that core institutions take early actions and work towards preventing further societal division and distrust.

Edelman: Govt and media barely makes 'trusted' grade

'Abuse of trust' - Bersih blasts political appointments to statutory bodies

Govt firmly rejects misdeeds, restore country's dignity - Anwar

'Businesses shouldn't be punished due to irresponsible individuals'