1. 24 March 2017 General Attitude Towards
LIBERALISM IN MALAYSIA Public Opinion Survey
Originally conducted because we wanted to set KPIs for ourselves. But the findings deserve public attention.
24 March 2017

2. 51% 50% 50% 75% 35% Private Survey Methodology & Respondent Profiles
Ethnicity
Occupation/ Sector
1207 voters aged 21 and above were interviewed via telephone (fixed and mobile lines)
The survey respondents are from all polling districts across the country, including Sabah & Sarawak.
Voters were selected through random stratified sampling method along the lines of ethnicity, gender, age and polling districts.
All of the polling districts were surveyed and the selection of the respondents is proportional with respect to the population in each polling districts.
Respondents were interviewed in their own language of preferences
Survey margin of error estimated at ±2.82%
The survey was conducted on 16 until 29 December 2016.
51%
35% Private
19% Homemaker
18% Self employed/ Business
14% Government/ GLC
10% Retired 4% Student/Unemployed
30%
CHINESE
Malay 7%
INDIAN 7% MB 6%
NON-MB
The survey interviewed a sample population of 1207 respondents from across Malaysia, covering the Peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak.  Respondents were interviewed in their own language of preference, and were selected through randomised stratified sampling method along the lines of ethnicity, gender, age and polling districts. ​
Internet Access
Gender
50%
50%
75%
Age Group
Monthly Household Income (RM)

3. Demographic Definition
Age Group
Education level
Details
< 40
> 40
Details
Not college educated
Primary school/ No formal education
Secondary school
College educated
Diploma & equivalent
Degree & above
Monthly household income
Education level
Details
Bottom 40%
< RM 2,000 – RM 2,99 9
Middle 40%
RM 3,000 – RM 6,999
Top 20%
≥ RM7,000
Details
Gov’t/ GLC
Government/ statutory bodies (eg: federal government, MARA, SALCRA) & Government Linked Companies
Private
Self employed/ Business
Employer/ Self employed (eg: Own small busniess, own farm, direct sale)
Business
*Others
Social, Homemaker, Retired, Students, Unemployed

4. 1
Principal Survey Findings: General Attitude Towards Liberalism

5. 48% 51% Heard About Liberalism 2%
Q. Have you ever heard about liberalism? 2%
Only 51 percent of the population said that they have heard about liberalism with the rest saying they have not heard it or they are unsure.  The higher the level of income, the more likely it is that they have heard about liberalism, with 76 percent of those in top 20 percent income bracket saying they have heard about it.  However, access to the internet is an important factor because 66 percent of those who do not have access to the internet says they have not heard about liberalism.  It is therefore likely those who are in the lower income brackets and with no access to the internet would not have heard about liberalism and therefore have very little proper understanding about it.       
51%
48%
Yes No
Unsure
Refuse
* Social, Homemaker, Retired, Students, Unemployed

6. 20% 42% 34% Understanding About Liberalism
Q. How much do you understand about liberalism 3% 2%
20%
A great majority (78 percent) admitted that they are either unsure or do not understand liberalism at all.  Only 17 percent of Malays and Muslims say they understand what liberalism is.  An astonishing 81 percent of those under the age 40, and 72 percent of those above 40 years old admitted they do not understand liberalism.
42%
34%
A great deal
Not understand at all
* Social, Homemaker, Retired, Students, Unemployed
A fair amount
Not very much
Unsure
Refuse

7. Defining Liberalism 10% 11% 7% 15% 8% 6% 4% 1% 14% 3% 2% - 55% 60% 51%
Q. Can you please explain what does liberalism mean? For you, liberalism mean …
Total
<40
>40
Muslim
Non-Muslim
Internet Accesss
No Internet access
Rights of freedom in general
10%
11% 7%
15% 8%
Freedom of speech/ expression 6% 4% 1%
14%
Fair and equitable society 3%
Freedom of thoughts 2%
Democracy/ Administration policy
Freedom of choices
Freedom of religion/ belief
Basic human rights -
Economic freedom
The ideology itself is against the religion of Islam
Unsure
55%
60%
51%
64%
43%
52%
62%
Refused
When asked to explain what liberalism means, 55 percent of the total said that they are unsure.  When this is further broken down, 64 percent of Muslims and 43 percent of non-Muslims say they are unsure. 

8. 30% 22% Liberalism for Malaysia
The reasons of mentioning good concept:
Able to obtain more freedom of speech and freedom of expression.
Able to obtain more rights of freedom in general.
Liberalism able to create a fair and equitable society.
A minority of only 13% Non-Muslim and only 29% Muslims think liberalism is a bad concept for Malaysia.
Peninsular M‘sia (29%, 24%) East Malaysia (32%, 13%) Muslim (11%, 29%) Non-Muslim (55%, 14%) Aged <40 (28%, 22%) Aged >40 (31%, 23%) College educated (26%, 18%) Not college educated (35%, 29%) Internet acess (29%,24%) No internet access (30%, 18%)
The reasons of mentioning bad concept:
There are negative effects towards the religions or particularly Islam.
There are negative effects or not really suitable for the cultures in Malaysia because it is a Multiracial society and Islam in administration.
It is bad if there are no specific rules or laws to control this liberalism in Malaysia.
Despite the very loud and vocal opposition against liberalism, only a minority of 13 percent Non-Muslim and 29 percent Muslims think liberalism is a bad concept for Malaysia.  The majority is unsure or think it is good.  The main reason for saying it is bad is that liberalism is assumed to be detrimental to religion, particularly Islam.
From those who said that liberalism is bad, 20 percent say they are unsure why they feel it is bad.
30%
22%
Good concept (n=357, 30%)
Freedom of speech/ expression (24.6%)
Rights of freedom in general (11.8%)
Fair and equitable society (8.4%)
A good vision for the country (8.1%)
Freedom of thoughts (6.2%)
Democracy/ Administration policy (5.9%)
Freedom of choices (2.8%)
Bad concept (n=269, 22%)
Freedom of speech/ expression (24.6%)
Rights of freedom in general (11.8%)
Fair and equitable society (8.4%)
A good vision for the country (8.1%)
Freedom of thoughts (6.2%)
Democracy/ Administration policy (5.9%)
Freedom of choices (2.8%) 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7

9. 2 Principal Survey Findings: Political Liberalism
When we used different terminologies to describe elements of liberalism, we found that a huge percentage actually support the ideas.  This is further explained below when we look into specific elements of political liberalism, social liberalism and economic liberalism.  This begs the question if the disagreement shown by the minority is caused by a lack of understanding of the meaning of the word, as when we did not explicitly use the word 'liberalism', the responses became more positive towards liberal practices.
Principal Survey Findings: Political Liberalism

10. Political Liberalism
The vast majority believe that political liberalism - exemplified by rule of law and electoral democracy – is good for the country. But understanding is still uncertain.
Agree
Disagree
±Net (%)
Unsure/ Refuse
Democracy, including free and fair elections, would be the best form of governance for Malaysia.
84%
13%
+71% 2%
Malaysia is ready for freedom of speech and a free media.
77%
20%
+57% 3%
The rule of law must be upheld. Every citizen should be equal before the law regardless of their social status and background.
91% 8%
+83% 1%
The government should keep the Sedition Act and other such laws in order to guarantee peace and stability in Malaysia.
60%
34%
+26% 6%
84 percent supports electoral democracy, including free and fair elections.  77 percent believes Malaysia is ready for freedom of speech and free media.  And overwhelming 91 percent believes that rule of law must be upheld.
Q. Please tell us, how far do you agree or disagree with the following statements? [*Note: ±Net (%) = Agree (%) – Disagree (%)]

11. 52% 32% Democracy Would Be The Best Form Of Government For Malaysia 9%
Q. Please tell us, how far do you agree or disagree with the following statements? – Democracy, including free and fair elections, would be the best form of governance for Malaysia. 2% 4% 9%
52%
32%
Strongly agree
Strongly disagree
Somewhat agree
unsure
Somewhat
disagree
Refuse
* Social, Homemaker, Retired, Students, Unemployed

12. 14% 44% 33% Malaysia Is Ready For Freedom Of Speech & A Free Media 3%
Q. Please tell us, how far do you agree or disagree with the following statements? – Malaysia is ready for freedom of speech and a free media. 3% 6%
14%
44%
33%
Strongly agree
Strongly disagree
Somewhat agree
Unsure
Somewhat
disagree
Refuse
* Social, Homemaker, Retired, Students, Unemployed

13. 28% 63% Every Citizen Should Be Equal Before The Law 3% 1% 5%
Q. Please tell us, how far do you agree or disagree with the following statements? – The rule of law must be upheld.
Every citizen should be equal before the law regardless of their social status and background. 3% 1% 5%
28%
63%
Strongly agree
Strongly disagree
Somewhat agree
Unsure
Somewhat
disagree
Refuse
* Social, Homemaker, Retired, Students, Unemployed

14. 16% 31% 18% 29% The Government Should Keep The Sedition Act 5% 1%
Q. Please tell us, how far do you agree or disagree with the following statements? – The government should keep the Sedition Act and other such laws in order to guarantee peace and stability in Malaysia. 5% 1%
16%
31%
But the confusion became apparent when we tested their understanding by asking if they support an illiberal law like the Sedition Act.  Here the answers became more divided, with a majority (60 percent) saying they want to keep the illiberal Sedition Act to ensure peace and stability.  An overwhelming 76 percent of Malays want to keep the Sedition Act.
The different response that we received on the test question on government control highlights inconsistent understanding, similar to political liberalism above.
The attitude of Malay Muslim respondents deserves to be highlighted.  57 percent of Malays feel that they should not have the freedom to choose how to live their lives.  And when asked whether they agree that no one has the right to impose their way of life on others, the opinion was split with half saying they agree and the other half disagree.    
18%
29%
Strongly agree
Strongly disagree
Somewhat agree
Unsure
Somewhat
disagree
Refuse
* Social, Homemaker, Retired, Students, Unemployed

15. 3
Principal Survey Findings: Social Liberalism

16. Social Liberalism
Support for social liberalism is high. But, similarly, the real level of understanding is suspect.
Agree
Disagree
±Net (%)
Unsure/ Refuse
I want to be able to freely choose how I want to live my life. For example religion, the way I dress and my sexuality are my private matters.
65%
33%
+32% 1%
My freedom should only be limited by my responsibility to not physically harm others and not to infringe on the freedom of others.
84%
14%
+70% 2%
I have no right to impose my way of life on others. I accept and respect the way others live their lives, including LGBT, atheists and other minorities.
32%
+33% 3%
The government should control all citizens to protect Malaysia’s cultures, values and traditions.
74%
24%
+50%
65 percent believes we should have the freedom to choose how to live our lives.  84 percent feels there should not be limitation to individual liberty unless the person is physically harming others.  And 65 percent believes no one has the right to impose their way of life on others.
Q. Please tell us, how far do you agree or disagree with the following statements? [*Note: ±Net (%) = Agree (%) – Disagree (%)]

17. 21% 41% 12% 24% Able To Freely Choose The Way To Live My Life 1%
Q. Please tell us, how far do you agree or disagree with the following statements? – I want to be able to freely choose how I want to live my life. For example religion, the way I dress and my sexuality are my private matters. 1%
21%
41%
12%
24%
Strongly agree
Strongly disagree
Somewhat agree
Unsure
Somewhat
disagree
Refuse
* Social, Homemaker, Retired, Students, Unemployed

18. Freedom Should Only Be Limited By Responsibility To Not To Harm Others
Q. Please tell us, how far do you agree or disagree with the following statements? – My freedom should only be limited by my responsibility to not physically harm others and not to infringe on the freedom of others. 2% 6% 8%
50%
34%
Strongly agree
Strongly disagree
Somewhat agree
Unsure
Somewhat
disagree
Refuse
* Social, Homemaker, Retired, Students, Unemployed

19. 20% 36% 12% 29% I Have No Right To Impose My Way Of Life On Others 1%
Q. Please tell us, how far do you agree or disagree with the following statements? – I have no right to impose my way of life on others. I accept and respect the way others live their lives, including LGBT, atheists and other minorities. 1% 2%
20%
36%
12%
29%
Strongly agree
Strongly disagree
Somewhat agree
Unsure
Somewhat
disagree
Refuse
* Social, Homemaker, Retired, Students, Unemployed

20. The Government Should Control All Citizens To Protect Malaysia’s Cultures, Values & Traditions
Q. Please tell us, how far do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
– The government should control all citizens to protect Malaysia’s cultures, values and traditions. 2%
10%
14%
40%
But there is a similar confusion when we tested their understanding by asking whether they believe the government should control the citizens in order to protect Malaysia's "culture, values and traditions."  74 percent says the government should control the population.  The highest is among Bumiputras.  87 percent of Malays feel the government should control the citizens, followed by 94 percent pf Malay Bumiputras, followed by 81 percent of Non-Malay Bumiputras.  87 percent of Indians also feel that the government should control the population.  A high percentage of 86 percent of those who work in the government feels the government should control the citizens.
34%
Strongly agree
Strongly disagree
Somewhat agree
Unsure
Somewhat
disagree
Refuse
* Social, Homemaker, Retired, Students, Unemployed

21. 4
Principal Survey Findings: Economic Liberalism

22. More or Less Government In The Economy?
Q: I am going to read two statements to you. Between these two statements, please tell me which one is closer to your opinion?
Statement 1: A big role of the Government in the economy with many Government Linked Companies (GLCs) is good. This helps Malaysia’s economy and creates many jobs. Many Malaysians benefit.
Statement 2: An open economy without Government linked companies (GLCs) would be good. This would create fair competition, opportunities for all, more jobs and more economic growth. Many Malaysians would benefit.
The opinion on economic liberalism is more diverse.  40 percent feel there should be a bigger government role in the economy.  50 percent feels there should be a more liberal environment with less government in the economy.
A larger proportion of the Malays (49 percent) and Chinese (55 percent) feel that a smaller government in the economy would be more beneficial.  A disproportionate 64 percent of Indians feel that bigger government in the economy is better.
Interestingly, and perhaps naturally, a majority (51 percent) of those who work in government or GLCs feel that more government is good.  This is countered by 53 percent of those in the private sector and 55 percent of those who are self-employed feeling that less government is better.
* Social, Homemaker, Retired, Students, Unemployed

23. Protectionism or free trade?
Q: I am going to read two statements to you. Between these two statements, please tell me which one is closer to your opinion?
Statement 1: The government should control trade (domestic and international) and give subsidies to Malaysian producers and business to help them.
Statement 2: Free trade (domestic and international) without subsidies would make Malaysia competitive and be beneficial for business and consumers in the long run.
Support for open and liberalised economy is lower at just 37 percent.  A majority (54 percent) still believes that a protectionist economy is better.  A majority of Malays (59 percent) and Indians (74 percent) believe that protectionism is better.  While among the ethnic Chinese, only 37 percent wants protectionism.
A high 67 percent of those who work in government or GLCs believe that protectionism is better.
* Social, Homemaker, Retired, Students, Unemployed

24. THANK YOU
even though the word liberalism is widely used by many people in public debates, the majority of of our population have very little understanding about what it actually means
when the word 'liberalism' was not used, the majority were actually supportive of many liberal practices.  
despite the loud shouting by some, only a small minority actually opposes liberalism.