Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has scored a 68% approval rating in the first poll conducted since he took office in late November, according to pollster Merdeka Center. Datuk Seri Anwar was seen favorably by two-thirds of Malaysians polled, with over 80% accepting his appointment as Prime Minister following a general election that resulted in a hung Parliament. However, his government, consisting of his Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, former rival Barisan Nasional and several other smaller outfits, only had a 54% approval rating.

The survey showed that Malaysians are keen to put the country's political instability behind them and to let the current administration "prove themselves," Merdeka Center said in a statement. Analysts have said the poll results show that Mr Anwar's government is not enjoying a "honeymoon period," which new governments typically get after elections.

Both Mr Anwar and his government had lower support among Malays compared with non-Malays. Despite receiving a rating beyond 70% from other races, Mr Anwar had a 60% score among Malays, while his government only had 48%. Mr Anwar's approval rating is comparable to those of his predecessors, Tun Dr Mahathir and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, but is far higher than that of his immediate predecessor, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Mr Anwar took office on November 24, five days after a closely fought general election that produced no clear winner. He leads what is on paper the strongest Malaysian government in over a decade, having control of 148 out of 222 seats in Parliament, but his government is made up of multiple ex-rivals offering conditional support.

Source: The Straits Times