Rafizi: PKR's own survey shows 'status quo' support for PM

PKR CONGRESS | PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli today said the party's own internal survey has shown "status-quo support" for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's administration.

He also said the recent Merdeka Center survey which found Anwar's approval ratings falling amid economic concerns must be read in a larger context.

"Based on my readings of the Merdeka Center survey, the approval rating (for Anwar) after one year is higher than his predecessor's rating in the first year.

"But that (number) is not read by people, because they are looking at other things," said Rafizi (above) at a press conference in Putrajaya after officiating the PKR Youth and Women Congress today.

"We (PKR) have our own survey [...] our own findings, the only difference is we no longer publish it.

The economy minister said PKR's own survey of the party's support levels, conducted since 2016, has mirrored a trend of higher support at the beginning of this year, and a slight drop towards the mid-term.

"To turn it (approval ratings) into political fodder, that is the individual's right, but in our view, the government led by Anwar is at its most stable condition now because of internal stability and status-quo support from the people," said Rafizi.

READ MORE: COMMENT | Holding on: A year of Anwar - Part 1

According to Merdeka Center, only half of the respondents of its poll last month gave Anwar the thumbs-up, compared to 43 percent who are dissatisfied with his performance.

This is the lowest approval rating for Anwar among the seven surveys the pollster has conducted since he took office in November last year.

The survey was conducted from Oct 4 to 24, polling 1,220 voters across the country via fixed line or mobile phone.

Anwar yesterday said while he took heed of the survey findings, he also had to engage with a far bigger audience than in the survey.

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