In what might be the most backhanded round of applause you’ll see this week, Member of Parliament Wan Saiful Wan Jan has extended his warmest congratulations to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The occasion? A survey conducted by the think tank Institut Masa Depan Malaysia (Masa) showing a modest rise in public satisfaction with Anwar’s leadership and government performance.
Now, here’s the kicker: Masa happens to be chaired by none other than Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin. So yes, Wan Saiful didn’t just congratulate the sitting PM—he also saw fit to pat Muhyiddin on the back, because apparently overseeing a survey that boosts your own popularity is worthy of a standing ovation.
“When an institute chaired by the President of Bersatu goes through all that effort to run a nationwide survey, and the result ends up confirming Anwar Ibrahim’s status as a capable leader, of course Anwar can be proud,” Wan Saiful remarked, dripping with all the subtlety of a reality TV host reading a scripted line.
According to Masa, their telephone survey, conducted between November 15 and December 19 last year with 1,604 respondents nationwide, found that public satisfaction with government performance had risen from 41% in June 2025 to 49% in December. Anwar’s personal approval rating similarly jumped, from 33% to 46% in the same period. Yes, it’s an improvement—but let’s not break out the champagne just yet. Overall satisfaction with the government still hasn’t crossed the symbolic 50% threshold, meaning that the majority of Malaysians still aren’t exactly throwing flowers at Putrajaya.
The survey also broke down support along ethnic lines, producing results that might delight some and mildly depress others. Among the Chinese respondents, 58% said they were satisfied with Anwar’s performance, compared with 42% of Indians and 40% of Malays. Translation: Anwar has a solid base, but it’s far from a nationwide landslide.
And because Wan Saiful is nothing if not thorough in his irony, he also took the opportunity to congratulate Muhyiddin for being declared the “most popular candidate” for prime minister after the next general election—according to the very same survey he chairs. It’s like awarding yourself a gold medal for showing up.
Masa’s data showed 46% of respondents would prefer Muhyiddin as the next PM, while 39% want to stick with Anwar for a second term. Ahmad Zahid of BN trailed behind with a humble 16% of the vote. Break it down by ethnicity, and the numbers tell their own story: Muhyiddin leads among Malays with 56%, while Anwar enjoys overwhelming support from the Chinese at 50%. Indians, as usual, are somewhere in the middle, giving their support in varying degrees: 14% for Muhyiddin, 22% for Anwar, and a paltry 5–10% for Zahid. Ouch.
If that weren’t enough political theater, Masa also included a smorgasbord of other potential prime ministerial candidates. Former UMNO minister Khairy Jamaluddin came in at 56%, former PM Najib Razak at 41%, ex-PM Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at 33%, PAS’s Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar at 29%, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man at 20%, and Hamzah Zainudin at 17%. The takeaway? Malaysia’s leadership buffet is wide open—pick your poison, stir well, and serve.
Wan Saiful, naturally, couldn’t resist adding a cherry of sarcasm to the mix.
“An institute chaired by Muhyiddin works tirelessly… and concludes that Muhyiddin is the absolute best. Truly remarkable,” he said.
He then speculated, with barely disguised irony, whether the “official” validation of both Anwar and Muhyiddin might open a new chapter for political cooperation between the two, perhaps even paving the way for Bersatu to quietly exit Perikatan Nasional earlier than expected.
This is more than idle speculation. Muhyiddin’s resignation as PN chairman has thrown the opposition into what can only be described as a low-grade political panic. The resignation triggered fresh questions about the Bersatu-PAS alliance, especially after December’s Perlis crisis. In that episode, while Muhyiddin was abroad in London, Bersatu swooped in to take over the Perlis Chief Minister position from PAS, setting off renewed efforts to revive PAS-Umno cooperation—a drama that continues to play out like a political soap opera.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has expressed his party’s willingness to lead PN, but speculation about Muhyiddin’s successor remains rampant. The gossip mill hasn’t slowed down either, especially after Muhyiddin met with PAS deputy president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar shortly upon returning to Malaysia. Everyone, it seems, is watching for the next twist in this political telenovela.
Meanwhile, Anwar has insisted that his administration remains steady and focused, signaling calm at the top. Zahid, in his usual reassuring tone, has promised that BN will remain part of the government until the end of the term. Because if there’s one thing Malaysia can count on, it’s that political statements often sound confident—regardless of what actually happens behind the scenes.
In short, the survey gives everyone something to cheer about—or sarcastically nod to—depending on how closely you follow Malaysia’s political circus. Anwar can bask in the glow of rising approval ratings, Muhyiddin can pat himself on the back for being “the most popular next PM,” and Wan Saiful can bask in the joy of pointing out the absurdity of it all. The public? Well, they’re left with the usual mix of skepticism, curiosity, and the occasional smirk at the spectacle.
Because in Malaysian politics, it seems, no triumph is too small, no irony too rich, and no self-praise too obvious to go unremarked.
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