Khairy Jamaluddin Is Malaysia’s Most Well-Liked PM Hopeful But Voters Still Don’t Want Him As PM

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Khairy Jamaluddin recorded the highest personal favourability of any prospective prime minister in a new national survey, but that popularity isn’t translating into support for the top job.

The Malaysia Prime Minister Candidate Study 2026, released by Vodus Research on Sept 17, found Khairy’s net favourability score at +51 points, the highest among five candidates assessed.

Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar followed at +44, Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi at +43, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at +39, and Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli at +32.

On the question of who should actually be prime minister, Anwar led by a wide margin. 46% of respondents said they would accept him as PM, compared to 32% for Khairy, 17% each for Onn Hafiz and Rafizi, and 13% for Samsuri.

Anwar’s first-choice support stood at 34%, more than double Khairy’s 14%. Onn Hafiz and Rafizi each polled at 8%, while Samsuri trailed at 6%.

Anwar’s net acceptance score – a separate measure combining acceptance and rejection – was +19 points. Khairy followed at +15, Onn Hafiz at +6, Samsuri at +3, and Rafizi at -3, the only candidate to score negative.

The study was conducted by Vodus Research, a Kuala Lumpur-based market research firm that uses a proprietary method it calls OMTOS – surveys broken into single questions and served through ad space on partner media sites, including Media Prima, Astro, The Star and Sin Chew.

The company says the approach previously outperformed conventional polling in predicting the 2022 general election.

The PM candidate study surveyed 1,482 Malaysian adults nationwide from Aug 18 to Sept 1, with the sample stratified to mirror the national census.

It’s also a commercial product – Vodus sells the full 55-page report for RM5,000, with the public release functioning as a summary of select findings.

Vodus’s driver analysis found that being seen as a “strong and capable leader” had the strongest relationship with candidate favourability, followed closely by having a clear vision for the country and the ability to manage government finances.

Addressing the cost of living, supporting vulnerable Malaysians, and understanding ordinary Malaysians all ranked closely behind.

Cost of living concerns weighed more heavily among Chinese respondents than Malay respondents, who placed more emphasis on strong leadership. For Anwar specifically, Vodus flagged trust and “understanding ordinary Malaysians” as vulnerabilities, alongside cost of living.

Anwar’s approval ratings have declined steadily since taking office. Merdeka Center recorded 68% approval two months after he became prime minister in early 2023. That figure fell to 55% by mid-2025, and to 52% in a June 2026 Merdeka Center survey – where Khairy trailed closely behind at 50% on the same measure.

Vodus said the findings reflect a snapshot of the fieldwork period, not a prediction of how an election would turn out.

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