MALAYSIANS continued to back Dr Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister, with more than 71% expressing their satisfaction with the 93-year-old, a new Merdeka Centre for Public Opinion survey showed.

It also, however, showed that Dr Mahathir’s popularity had decreased from 83% in May.

“This indicates the dissipating euphoria and natural friction as expectations encounter reality. Nonetheless, the present positive numbers underpin the general satisfaction express by voters on the performance of the new government,” Merdeka Centre said in a statement today.

The Merdeka Centre has continued to conduct surveys after the May general election.

Compared with Dr Mahathir, former prime minister Najib Razak’s popularity in May before the election hovered at 57%.

Dr Mahathir’s strongest supporters were Indians (93%), Chinese (83%) and non-Muslim Bumiputera (75%). 

His popularity among Muslim Bumiputera and Malay voters remained high at 64% and 62%, respectively.

Despite criticism levelled against the civil service, Dr Mahathir’s received the highest ratings from civil servants at 81%, compared with 59% among the self-employed and entrepreneurs.

In age groups, Dr Mahathir’s popularity was highest among those aged 60 and above (76%) and those below 40 (72%).

The latest Merdeka Centre survey was conducted between August 7 and 14, and polled 1,160 voters across 222 constituencies. – August 15, 2018.