60% of Malaysians and Indonesians Demand Religious Leaders Address Politics

According to a study released by American think-tank Pew Research Centre in 2023, around six in 10 respondents polled in Malaysia and Indonesia say religious leaders should talk publicly about the political parties or politicians they support. About half even say they should enter politics. Now one can still wonder why PAS made such progress in the last GE?

The power of religious leaders

And more than half of the respondents in Malaysia and Indonesia believe religious leaders should take part in political protests. This is slightly more than the 50 per cent of those polled in Cambodia. Meanwhile, only 18 to 29 per cent of respondents in Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand share this view. The study surveyed 13,122 adult respondents across six Asian countries between June and September 2022.