Is Najib a bigger story than corruption?

by uppercaise

MERDEKA CENTER SURVEY

What they buried in the news reports

• 61% are not satisfied with the government’s efforts to fight corruption
• 57% do not believe in the government’s efforts to fight crime
• 91% are aware of the Aminulrasyid shooting case in Shah Alam
• 58% are not satisfied with the way the police are handling the case
• 53% chose corruption above inflation, foreign investment and the environment as the No 1 issue to be tackled
• 76% believe the best company should get the government contract, regardless of race
• 72% think bumiputra companies should compete for government contracts
• 66% think some contracts should be reserved and bumiputra companies to compete among them for the jobs
• 45% disagree and 46% agree that the government is spending public money prudently

The most important problems in Malaysia are:

• Social problems in general (11%)
• Corruption, abuse of power (9%)
• Too much politicking (8%)
• Unity and communalism (7%), crime and public safety (7%)
• Prices and rising cost of living (6%)
• Racial discrimination (4%), management of national wealth (4%), education (4%)

None of this was reported in the main news stories.

People think media reform is important, too

Government failure in fighting corruption and crime, a thumbs down to the police in the Aminulrasyid shooting, and ending the gravy train for bumiputra contractors — these were among the top issues in Merdeka Center’s opinion survey.
But you wouldn’t know it from the main news sites last night. The NST, The Star, Bernama, Malaysiakini and Free Malaysia Today all led last night’s front pages with Najib Tun Razak’s humungous slice of mind share.
Insider decided that Idris Jala getting shafted by the Treasury (coincidentally, also under Najib) was a better lead. A valid choice, too. The Najib opinion poll was the second lead item on the Malaysia section front page — but with three pictures of the Supreme Leader, to make up for it. They were really leaning over backwards not to offend. (Fear of offending Najib or fear of his boss the Supreme Ros?)
The Malay papers didn’t bother with the survey on their online editions. Frightened of the negativity among the public? Or that the public’s views don’t match the positive spin that the Malay papers are trying to “sell”?

Think different. Think weirdly

For sheer weirdness, and perhaps a dose of foolish audacity, Free Malaysia Today’s headline and intro must take the prize.

» Najib riding high with jobless M’sians
KUALA LUMPUR: Unemployed Malaysians appear to be smitten with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, according to a recent survey which saw his popularity soar to 72% from 69% in April. The interesting point in the Mederka Centre survey was that nearly half or 47% of the 1,028 M alaysians polled claimed that they were jobless.

Come again? Merdeka Center itself only said that 47% were “not in work force”. Let’s see… Housewives. Students. Pensioners. They are also “not in work force”. As well as the jobless. (Perhaps you might include commission agents and rent-seekers among them.)
And to make it worse, nowhere in the survey report is there any correlation between the 47% not in work force and the 72% who approve of Najib.
Hmmm. So what was the thinking behind the FMT interpretation? A stupefying leap of imagination, perhaps. Or maybe it’s a very subtle point that’s lost on more plebeian readers. Or maybe they just boobed in reading the charts. I didn’t dare ask.
All the main papers buried the really interesting points. NST » PM Najib’s approval rating goes up to 72pc put the public’s views on corruption and crime at the bottom of the story. And no mention of the public’s views of the police handling of the Aminulrasyid shooting.
The Star also put the public’s dissatisfaction on crime and corruption at the end of the story. And nothing about the Aminul response.
Similarly with Malaysiakini, but they pointed out that discontent on corruption and crime had shown a marked rise. In addition, Mkini had a sidebar on the public’s views on the economy and bumiputra contractors.
The Sun put the survey on the third page of its website, and the Mirror led with Angkasa offers to distribute essential goods instead.

UPDATE

This morning, the Insider recanted and put up the public anger on Aminulrasyid’s shooting. So far (at 09:20) the only one to do so. And the all-Najib Malaysia section front page was overtaken by other events.
Utusan Online » Merdeka Centre: 72 peratus rakyat sokong Perdana Menteri
followed the same pattern as everyone else. Corruption and crime in one para at the bottom of the story. No Aminul.
Same deal in Berita Harian » Kepemimpinan Najib terus diterima: Kajian. Again, crime and corruption reduced to one para, quoting Ibrahim Sufian of Merdeka Centre. Three paragraphs compared the responses by racial group.
And even if media reform came out bottom of five issues surveyed, a healthy 8% believe it to be important, too. But there was an even spread among: better housing, better security, better public amenities and a better judiciary.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see a higher figure next year, after coverage like that in yesterday’s reports.

© 2010 uppercaise