‘A Grade’ for Madani Economic Policies?

A survey by Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) and two NGOs indicated that most Malaysians approved of “30 economic initiatives” by the Madani administration.

The people behind the survey seem to be linked to the ultra-right or the previous government’s administration. Notably, Kamarul Zaman was once a special officer to former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

This survey purportedly involved 4,606 respondents chosen through random stratified sampling, representing 21.5 million voters. Established commercial market survey firms typically use 1,400 respondents.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org

The report does not list the total number chosen from each stratum - typical in surveys by market research firms – nor the two NGOs involved in the survey. The scoring method and how the 3,000 points are divided are not clear. The margin of error is not stated.

The respondents were interviewed face-to-face and were asked 30 questions where they could choose one of the following responses: “strongly agree”, “agree”, “disagree”, “strongly disagree”, and “not sure”.

The question that had the most negative responses (62 percent disapproval) was when respondents were asked if they agreed with the government’s decision to lift chicken and egg subsidies. It is unsure if the respondents were briefed that while price controls for dressed chicken were lifted, subsidies for chicken eggs nationwide are still in place.

Strangely, 53 percent of respondents did not agree with the government’s policy to remove subsidies for the top 10 percent of electricity users, while maintaining subsidies for the rest.

In terms of positives, the Madani administration scored best (92 percent approval) in “incentivising” Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas) to disburse RM60 million to poor farmers last December. Bernas is owned by business tycoon Syed Mokhtar Albukhary’s Perspective Lane (M) Sdn Bhd, with one golden share held by the government. In 2020, the previous administration extended Bernas’ concession to import rice until Jan 15, 2031. The company enjoys a monopoly in rice imports.

Statistics and some survey results are like wearing a bikini - it shows you many interesting things but not the vital parts! The size of a survey is important as much as its stratification. But if you already have the conclusion and work backwards to justify the results you want, then it is a question of integrity.

I am for surveys and research but the Madani government should engage good, independent third parties to evaluate and “tweak” its policies with survey results. Many (policies) are great on paper but lacks “bite” at the street level!

Reference:

UUM survey: M’sians gave Madani economic policies an ‘A grade’, Malaysiakini, 8 December 2023