Poll: Politicians have less confidence, online media prefers to print

An online survey conducted by a think tank only shows 16% of trusted politicians surveyed, while online media is considered more reliable than the print media because it is "more free" .

KUALA LUMPUR: What is the most important attribute in a politician? About 72% of Malaysians surveyed say that it is honesty.

The 1,000-person survey commissioned by the Center for a Better Future (Cenbet) revealed that politicians were the least trustworthy among the eight institutions and entities surveyed. Only 16% trusted them.

The survey also found that online media are more reliable than traditional media because they are seen as having more freedom to report on issues.

In a statement, Cenbet states: In the media, alternative online media had a much higher credibility (31%) than traditional print publications (23%).

The main reason for not trusting traditional media is that, according to 64% of them are not free to report without interference.

The main criticism against the online media was that it was deemed "unfair and to publish inaccurate / false news" (57%). However, 75% of those who trust online news were impressed by its "freedom to report without interference from third parties".

Beside the honesty, the respondents said that dedication to the service of the community and the country. About 68% of respondents said

The national survey conducted early this year revealed that the level of education (29%) and personal wealth (19%) were the least important attributes for politicians

Gan Ping Sieu, who published the results of the survey today, said: "As a civil society group that advocates transparency and good governance, we are deeply concerned by society's poor consideration of politicians, particularly with regard to their reliability. 45% of respondents rated the judicial system as trustworthy, citing the integrity of judges as the main reason (55%) of their trust.

Those who found the courts unreliable, however, stated that the lack of integrity of the judges was theirs "

" Other notable comments include a perceived lack of separation of power between the judiciary and the government, that is, political interference, control, and the influence of the government, "Cenbet said. They also revealed that 62% of respondents felt that local authorities, such as city councils, were "not trustworthy". Their main grouse was "inefficient service" (66%) followed by "perceived corruption" (47%).

Cenbet said that 60% of those surveyed said the police were not trustworthy.

perceived corruption was the main reason for their lack of confidence (71%) while 41% found that the strength lacked professionalism. For those who found the strength trustworthy, 51% attributed this to the effectiveness of men in blue. "

The institution with the highest level of confidence was the Malaysian Armed Forces at 60% Most of the respondents (60%) who trusted the institution were impressed by its discipline and found that their staff was well trained.Among those who were wary of the armed forces, 47% said it was because the force was not impartial and fair to all, according to L '. survey

"When it comes to the reliability of institutions, the common theme comes down to equity, efficiency. He said that Cenbet would present the detailed findings to the new Committee on Institutional Reforms as an input for the government in order to improve trust and public delivery in key institutions.

Cenbet stated that the online survey was conducted in accordance with the guidelines and standards of the International Chamber of Commerce and the Esomar Code of Practice. Both are globally recognized standards in the areas of market opinion as well as social research and data analysis.