IDE Survey: Majority of respondents want PM to resign, dissolve Parliament

KUALA LUMPUR: Some Malaysians want Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to resign because he has lost the majority.

A survey conducted by Institut Darul Ehsan (IDE) online from February 19 to 28, 2021 involving 8,352 respondents found that 29 per cent wanted Parliament to be dissolved immediately to provide an opportunity for the 15th General Election (GE15) to be held.

IDE had conducted the survey to find out the 'mood' of the people towards the current political situation of this country.

"Based on the results of the latest IDE Survey, only 19 per cent voted for him (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) to remain as prime minister until the end of this parliamentary term.

"The majority of respondents, 46 per cent, voted for him to resign as prime minister due to the loss of majority support.

"29 per cent think he should dissolve Parliament and hold the 15th General Election.

“Only 2 per cent support continuing the declaration of emergency for him (Muhyiddin) to stay in power," the IDE said in a statement on Tuesday.

Based on the survey, 31 per cent of the Malays want Parliament dissolved, while 21 per cent of the Chinese made the same decision and 32 per cent of Indians also gave the same answer.

In terms of age breakdown, 33 per cent of those are aged 21 to 29 years, 30 per cent (30-39 years), 29 per cent (40-49 years), 27 per cent (50-59 years), 32 per cent (60-65 years) and 20 per cent (66 years and above).

The survey, based on micro-analysis involving age as well as race, found that the views were comprehensive among the age categories of those eligible to vote, namely 21 years to 66 years and above.

"The same decision also transcends ethnicity involving Malays, Chinese, Indians, Sabah Bumiputeras, Sarawak Bumiputeras and others," the IDE said.

This survey also obtained the respondents' stand on issues related to the performance of the government and the prime minister, the government's efforts to address COVID 19 and the political future of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Harapan.

As many as 46 per cent of the respondents voted for Muhyiddin to resign because he had lost the support of the majority.

"Only 19 per cent voted for him to remain as prime minister until the end of the parliamentary term.

"The majority of respondents, 46 per cent, voted for him to resign as prime minister due to the loss of majority support.

"29 per cent think he should dissolve Parliament and hold the 15th General Election.

"Only 2 per cent support continuing the declaration of emergency to stay in power," it said.

Muhyiddin, when announcing the proclamation of emergency as consented by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong last January promised that Parliament would be dissolved as soon as the emergency ended.

This parliamentary term will end on July 16, 2023, exactly five years after GE14 was held in 2018.