THE majority of Malaysians polled in a Merdeka Centre survey were satisfied with the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The survey carried out in February and March for Opinion Research showed 70% of those interviewed felt Putrajaya had acted proportionately to the situation.

One quarter of respondents felt the government could have done more, while only 3% felt the government had overreacted to the Covid-19 pandemic, said Merdeka Centre’s executive director Ibrahim Suffian.

He was speaking at a webinar organised by the Yusof Ishak Institute (ISEAS): Coalitions, Covid-19 and Changes in Malaysia, on Friday.

The survey, said Ibrahim, also showed that 91% of Malaysians were worried about the pandemic.

“The poll results corresponded with the high percentage (94%) compliance during the movement control order (MCO).

“The daily government briefings helped in the high approval ratings of the government and the Ministry of Health’s capabilities,” said Ibrahim.

The Merdeka Centre survey also indicated that public satisfaction with the government’s handling of the pandemic had risen 18 points to 79% in March when the MCO began, compared to 61% in February.

Public satisfaction towards the health ministry was 86% compared to satisfaction towards government (79%). The public was less satisfied with Health Minister Dr Adham Baba (61%).

“I think that was partly due to some misplaced comments like killing Covid-19 by drinking lukewarm water,” said Ibrahim.

The pollster said that the biggest concern for Covid-19 was the economy.

“During the survey, we noticed that the majority of B40 workers were unable to work from home, while only half of the M40 were able to do so.

“The economic impact of the MCO will be felt later,” he added.

According to the survey, 67% said they had enough savings for two weeks, with 42% saying they have enough for one month. Only 27% said they had enough savings for two months.

“When we first started the survey, we all thought the MCO was only for two weeks. It’s now more than 10 weeks, and the economic impact will be severe,” said Ibrahim.

The survey showed that only 22% said they did not have enough savings for two weeks, with 37% and 53% saying the same when the question was about whether they had enough savings for one and two months respectively.

“Another concern, of course, is when the loan moratoriums end. By then, we may be able to see how severe the economic impact has been,” said Ibrahim.

He did not provide any other details of the survey.

The Covid-19 virus has so far infected 8,266 Malaysians and killed 116. – June 6, 2020.