KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — Fewer Malaysians are concerned about the rise of inflation this year, said a new survey by international market research firm Ipsos.
Around 66 per cent of Malaysians polled said inflation will rise in May this year, a fall of 10 per cent compared to June last year, Ipsos’ Inflation Monitor 2023 noted.
“Similar trends are observed for concerns about changes in disposable income and unemployment over the same period,” it added.
However, one in five Malaysians find it very difficult to cope financially and more than half are just getting by while 24 per cent of Malaysian respondents had indicated that they currently live a comfortable lifestyle, it said.
Based on the survey, inflation still remains a focus as four in 10 Malaysians (41 per cent) have identified it as one of the top issues affecting the country.
“Improved optimism is still accompanied by daily hardships, with one in five Malaysians facing financial difficulties and over half just getting by.
“These perceptions are shared among different income groups in the country,” said the senior research manager at Ipsos Public Affairs Azamat Ababakirov.
In comparison, neighbouring countrymen Singaporeans were more worried about inflation (54 per cent) while Indonesians were much less worried about it (16 per cent).
The survey also found that 45 per cent of Malaysians polled think that inflation will return to normal within a year.
However, nearly seven in 10 Malaysians expect the cost of food shopping to increase, though this is a slightly smaller number than in June last year (around 72 per cent).
In April, Ipsos found that inflation is no longer the top concern among Malaysian respondents with just 36 per cent saying it is their top worry, down from the peak in January 2023 at 43 per cent.
The worry over inflation has been replaced by corruption, with 51 per cent of respondents listing it as their top worry — a climb from 43 per cent in January 2023. This was followed by unemployment and job concerns (35 per cent).
