KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 — A recent survey by global market research firm Ipsos has revealed Malaysians’ trust levels in various professions, showing that politicians and social media influencers are among the least trusted.

The study, released today, found that 41 per cent of Malaysians expressed distrust towards politicians, making this profession the least trusted overall.

Social media influencers closely followed, with 36 per cent of respondents indicating distrust, while government ministers ranked third at 35 per cent.

Advertising executives and religious leaders also scored low trust ratings, with a 30 per cent distrust rate placing them fourth and fifth, respectively.

The survey highlights that distrust in Malaysia is notably lower than the global average. Around half of the global population views politicians, social media influencers, and government ministers as untrustworthy.

In contrast, teachers, doctors, and scientists were identified as the most trusted professions, both in Malaysia and globally.

Teachers saw a slight increase in trust, rising by 1 per cent from 2023, while trust in doctors declined by 3 per cent.

Trust levels in scientists and the Armed Forces remained stable at 49 per cent.

Judges also experienced a notable increase in trust, rising by 3 per cent from the previous year.

Commenting on the findings, Ipsos Malaysia’s interim country manager, Evelyn Tan, said the trust landscape remains consistent.

"Key professions such as doctors, teachers, scientists, and the armed forces consistently rank as the top five most trusted professions,” she added.

Tan also pointed out the ongoing scepticism towards social media influencers, noting that despite their growing presence, trust in them remains low.

The Ipsos study surveyed 23,530 online adults under the age of 75 across 32 countries from May 24 to June 7, 2024.