KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 — A recently released report from Washington-based Pew Research Center found that around eight in 10 of Malaysian respondents (81 per cent) said they want the country to be led by someone who shares the same religion as them.

Similarly, at 82 per cent, most Malaysians said it is important or very important for the country leader to stand up for others who share the same religion as the respondents.

"Adults in Indonesia, Bangladesh and the Philippines are the most likely to say it is important to have a leader who stands up for people with their religious beliefs.

"And in Malaysia, India, Kenya and Sri Lanka, about eight-in-ten adults say this, too,” said a media release on the report.

The pollster said in countries where religion is perceived as very important, people are generally more likely to value each of these qualities in a leader.

Malaysia is one of these countries, where 87 per cent of those who said religion is "very important” also agreed that a leader should stand up for others who share their religious beliefs.

Among the Muslims here, 90 per cent believed so.

Despite that, the proportion of Malaysian respondents who felt the country’s leader should have strong religious beliefs — even when it is different from theirs — were lower at 77 per cent.

In comparison, in the country at the bottom of the list — France — only 25 per cent felt that the leader should stand up with their religious brethren, only 18 per cent think a leader should be very religious, and only 17 per cent want a leader who share their religion.

In France, just 30 per cent identify themselves as Christians, while 12 per cent were unaffiliated with any faith.

For the survey, 1,005 Malaysians were surveyed through random calls in English, Malay, and Mandarin between January 16 and March 10 this year. In total, 53,000 were surveyed globally.