PETALING JAYA: A recent Pew Research Center study shows an increase in positive views of Russia and its president Vladimir Putin among Malaysians.
The study, released ahead of NATO’s 75th anniversary summit in July 2024, was conducted between January and May 2024 and examined public opinion across 35 countries.
Malaysia stood out with the highest approval rating for Russia among all surveyed nations with 57% of Malaysian respondents expressing a favourable opinion of Russia, up from 47% in 2022.
Its neighbouring country, Singapore, also saw an increase, with 34% viewing Russia favourably, a six percentage point rise from 2022.
The study also included data from Thailand and the Philippines, where 52% and 46% of respondents respectively held favourable views of Russia, though the two countries were not included in the 2022 survey.
Putin’s popularity was notable in Malaysia, where 61% of respondents expressed confidence in the Russian president, while the Philippines showed similar support, with 56% viewing Putin favourably, Thailand, 45% and Singapore saw 37%.
Senior Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Dr Ian Storey told Channel News Asia that Malaysians generally hold more favourable views of Russia and Putin compared to other Asian countries because they are seen as supportive of Islamic causes, particularly its long-standing backing of Palestinian statehood.
Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania, Dr James Chin also pointed out that Russia’s stance on Middle East issues is significant among Malaysians and Singaporeans.
“The number one factor as to why Malaysians and Singaporeans have a better view of Russia and Putin - especially Malaysia - is that the large number of the Muslim population, and also a significant portion of the non-Muslim population, sees Russian support in the Middle East for the Palestinian issue as a very important factor.”
However, the survey found that across all countries surveyed, a median of 65% of adults hold an unfavourable view of Russia, while 28% view it favourably, reflecting the overall global view of Russia to be negative.
