Kuala lumpur: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim remains the country's most favoured political leader with a 52 percent approval rating, according to the latest Merdeka Center survey released today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the survey, conducted between March 12 and April 9 this year, also found that 42 percent of Malaysian voters continue to believe that the country is moving in the right direction despite growing international uncertainties and economic challenges. The Merdeka Center noted that this percentage remains unchanged from figures recorded in December 2025 and February 2026.

The survey revealed variations in sentiment across different ethnic groups, with 39 percent of Malay respondents indicating a positive outlook, compared to 50 percent among Chinese respondents and 33 percent among Indian respondents. By age group, respondents aged 21 to 30 recorded the highest positive sentiment at 57 percent, while those aged 51 to 60 were the least optimistic at just 32 percent.

In terms of overall approval of the Federal Government, 50 percent of respondents expressed satisfaction, while 48 percent reported dissatisfaction. Satisfaction was notably high among both Muslim and non-Muslim Bumiputera respondents from Sabah and Sarawak at 68 percent, followed by Chinese respondents at 53 percent. Indian and Malay respondents showed satisfaction levels of 46 percent and 44 percent, respectively.

Satisfaction levels also varied by age, with younger respondents aged 21 to 30 showing the highest approval of the federal government at 64 percent. The survey highlighted strong support for institutional reforms, including proposals to limit the Prime Minister's tenure to a maximum of two terms or ten years, separate the roles of the Attorney General and Public Prosecutor, and introduce direct elections for the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur.

It noted that support for these political reforms showed little variation between Malay and non-Malay respondents, indicating broad cross-ethnic backing for these proposals. The survey involved 1,209 voters comprising 51 percent Malay, 27 percent Chinese, eight percent Indian, seven percent Muslim Bumiputera, and seven percent non-Muslim Bumiputera from Sabah and Sarawak. The survey was conducted through telephone interviews using stratified random sampling to reflect Malaysia's electoral demographics.