Survey: PMX Most Popular Politician in Malaysia with 52% Approval, Zahid Hamidi Places Last with 24%

A recent survey found that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recorded the highest approval rating among the country’s political leaders, with 52% of respondents expressing support for him.

The survey, conducted between 12 March and 9 April 2026 by Merdeka Center, involved 1,209 registered voters. Respondents comprised 51% Malays, 27% Chinese, 8% Indians, 7% Muslim Bumiputera, and 7% non-Muslim Bumiputera from Sabah and Sarawak. It was carried out through telephone interviews using a stratified random sampling method to reflect the demographic makeup of Malaysia’s electorate.

How other political leaders fared

Recently returned UMNO leader Khairy Jamaluddin came in a close second with a 50% approval rating, just behind Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s 52%. The other leaders recorded the following ratings:

• Muhyiddin Yassin (Former Prime Minister) – 36%
• Rafizi Ramli (Former Economy Minister and founder of Bersama) – 32%
• Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar (Perikatan Nasional chairman and Terengganu Menteri Besar) – 28%
• Abdul Hadi Awang (PAS president) – 25%
• Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (UMNO president and Deputy Prime Minister) – 24%

42% of voters say Malaysia is heading in the right direction

According to the survey, the findings remained unchanged from the levels recorded in December 2025 and February 2026, with 42% of Malaysian voters believing the country is still heading in the right direction despite growing global uncertainty and economic challenges.

Across ethnic groups, 39% of Malay respondents believed the country is heading in the right direction, compared with 50% of Chinese respondents and 33% of Indian respondents.

By age, respondents aged 21 to 30 were the most optimistic, with 57% saying the country is on the right track. Meanwhile, those aged 51 to 60 were the least optimistic, with only 32% sharing the same view.

Federal Government satisfaction

In terms of satisfaction with the Federal Government, 50% of respondents said they were satisfied, while 48% said they were dissatisfied.

Based on ethnicity, Muslim and non-Muslim Bumiputera respondents from Sabah and Sarawak recorded the highest satisfaction level at 68%, followed by Chinese respondents (53%), while Indian and Malay respondents recorded satisfaction levels of 46% and 44%, respectively.

Young respondents aged 21 to 30 also registered the highest level of satisfaction, with 64% expressing support for the Federal Government.

For illustration purposes only

Meanwhile, support for institutional reforms remains strong, with respondents broadly backing proposals to separate the roles of the Attorney General and the Public Prosecutor, as well as introduce direct elections for the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur.

Merdeka Center noted that support for these political reforms showed only minor differences between Malay and non-Malay respondents, indicating that the proposals enjoy broad support across different ethnic groups.

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments!

Also read: Survey: Anwar’s Approval Rating Now at 54%, Only 39% of M’sians Think Country is Heading in Right Direction