Malaysians need to look at how to embrace the new normal of everyday life as well as continue to contribute to the economic recovery post-COVID-19 pandemic, said market research company Ipsos.

In its latest findings on embracing the new normal, the company takes a look at the readiness of Malaysians in comparison to the Southeast Asian neighbours in moving forward.

Ipsos found that Malaysians were still at the day to day reactionary stage, while countries like Singapore and Indonesia have moved to the next stage in embracing a new way of life phase.

Meanwhile, Vietnam is ahead of the curve in fully adopting the new normal.

The study was conducted between May 22 and May 26 among 3,000 adults aged 18 years and above.

About 83 per cent of Malaysians said they would not travel to another country in 2020, followed by 57 per cent of them would not visit a gym or sports facility, 55 per cent would not participate in domestic travel and 56 per cent of participants were reluctant to join a cultural event or gathering.

"Malaysian’s also believe that apart from visiting family, it will take some time for them to take public transportation and travel to another country. There is still reluctance and uncertainty in the air," said Ipsos.

-- BERNAMA