How does public opinion on mayor election align with other reforms?

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Public opinion on electing the Kuala Lumpur mayor is strong, and it sits alongside similarly high support for other political reforms.

The direct election proposal for the KL mayor has majority backing, with 58 per cent support nationwide and 19 per cent opposition. That level of support is in line with, and in some cases lower than, other reforms in the same survey, including 73 per cent support for limiting the prime minister to two terms or 10 years and 84 per cent support for separating the Attorney General’s Chambers from the Public Prosecutor.
Support for the KL mayor election is majority-based but not the highest in the survey

The KL mayor proposal drew 58 per cent support overall, which is enough to show a clear majority. Among non-Malay respondents, support rose to 65 per cent, while Malay respondents recorded 56 per cent support.

That places the mayor election idea within a broader pattern of approval for institutional reform, but not at the top of the list. Its support is lower than the 73 per cent recorded for the prime minister term limit and the 84 per cent for separating the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Public Prosecutor.
Other reforms in the survey attract even stronger backing

The proposal to limit the prime minister’s tenure to a maximum of two terms or 10 years received 73 per cent support overall. Malay respondents backed it at 71 per cent, while non-Malay respondents registered 75 per cent support.

The strongest result was for separating the roles of Attorney General’s Chambers and Public Prosecutor. That reform received 84 per cent support overall, with 84 per cent among Malay respondents and 86 per cent among non-Malay respondents.
Support for reform is broad across ethnic lines

The survey shows little variation across ethnic groups on most of the key proposals. Support for the KL mayor election was higher among non-Malays at 65 per cent, but the Malay figure of 56 per cent still formed a majority.

The same pattern appears in the other reforms, where Malay and non-Malay support stayed close together. The term-limit proposal differed by only four points between Malay and non-Malay respondents, while the Attorney General and Public Prosecutor split showed near-identical approval levels.
The overall picture is one of consistent backing for institutional change

Taken together, the results point to broad and stable support for political reforms under consideration in Parliament. The survey, conducted between March 12 and April 9, 2026, sampled 1,209 registered voters and found strong approval across several proposals.

The KL mayor election question fits into that wider reform mood. It has majority support, but the more established institutional changes in the survey attracted even higher and more uniform approval.

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How does public opinion on mayor election align with other reforms?

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