Survey: Almost half don't trust electoral process
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A survey done in the weeks leading up to the Bersih 3.0 rally in April found that about half of Malaysians have no trust in the present electoral process.
According to the Merdeka Centre poll conducted from April 14 to 26, 49 percent do not believe that the process "is free from irregularity".
Of the 1,019 people polled, it found that only 20 percent are “very confident” that the process can be trusted.
According to the Merdeka Centre poll conducted from April 14 to 26, 49 percent do not believe that the process "is free from irregularity".Of the 1,019 people polled, it found that only 20 percent are “very confident” that the process can be trusted.
The survey was completed just days before the mammoth April 28 Bersih rally that saw thousands of yellow-clad protesters on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, demanding clean and fair elections.
While an overwhelming 68 percent of the Chinese respondents do not trust the process, compared with 19 percent who do, the same cannot be said for Malays.
More Malays are more optimistic over the process, with 57 percent trusting the process, compared with 39 percent who do not. Half of the Indians polled were not confident in the process.
The telephone survey found that a similar number of people also do not trust the postal voting process.
A total of 51 percent said the postal voting process “lacks transparency and is open to political interference”.
Most who do not trust postal voting have incomes higher than RM5,000 a month and aged between 31 and 40 years.
Poor understanding of Bersih's demands
While the lack of confidence in postal voting matches one of electoral reform NGO Bersih's eight demands, only 39 percent feel they understand these demands.
A mere 13 percent said they understood Bersih's demands “a great deal” while a large 24 percent did not understand the demands at all.
Most of those who said they do not understand Bersih's demands are from rural areas and have incomes lower than RM1,500 a month.
There is also poor confidence in the parliamentary select committee for electoral reform, with half believing that it is only a “cover-up or to divert public attention”.
Indians had the least confidence, with more than half saying the PSC is a cover-up, while Malays remained the most trusting, with 42 percent believing it to be a “sincere effort”.
Those under the age of 40 were most distrustful, along with those with incomes higher than RM5,000 a month.
More Malays are more optimistic over the process, with 57 percent trusting the process, compared with 39 percent who do not. Half of the Indians polled were not confident in the process.
The telephone survey found that a similar number of people also do not trust the postal voting process. A total of 51 percent said the postal voting process “lacks transparency and is open to political interference”.
Most who do not trust postal voting have incomes higher than RM5,000 a month and aged between 31 and 40 years.
Poor understanding of Bersih's demands
While the lack of confidence in postal voting matches one of electoral reform NGO Bersih's eight demands, only 39 percent feel they understand these demands.
A mere 13 percent said they understood Bersih's demands “a great deal” while a large 24 percent did not understand the demands at all.
Most of those who said they do not understand Bersih's demands are from rural areas and have incomes lower than RM1,500 a month.
There is also poor confidence in the parliamentary select committee for electoral reform, with half believing that it is only a “cover-up or to divert public attention”. Indians had the least confidence, with more than half saying the PSC is a cover-up, while Malays remained the most trusting, with 42 percent believing it to be a “sincere effort”.
Those under the age of 40 were most distrustful, along with those with incomes higher than RM5,000 a month.
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