Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's two-year-old government continues to struggle to win the support of Malays, judging by the findings of a new survey by Merdeka Center, which also showed that the majority of respondents believe the country is moving in the wrong direction.

The think tank's poll, conducted between November and December, found that more than half of Malay respondents believe that the country is moving in the wrong direction.

Among ethnic Indians, about 68% share the same view, as opposed to only 18% who feel the country is heading the right direction.

Meanwhile, the Chinese community, which solidly supported Anwar's Pakatan Harapan coalition in the last general election, is divided on the country's direction.

Despite the negative sentiment, Merdeka Center said Anwar's rating has improved slightly, with 54% of respondents satisfied with his performance, an increase of 1% at the end of November compared to the beginning of the same month.

In the same period, however, the number of those who were dissatisfied with Anwar rose by 2%.

Overall, 53% of respondents say the country is moving in the wrong direction, while 39% think otherwise.

"Sentiments show gradual improvement after a prolonged period of negativity, although negative sentiments remain oversized," said Merdeka Centre in its report released to mark the second year of the coalition government.

The majority of those who believe the country is heading in the wrong direction are in the 31-40, 41-50 and 51-60 age groups.

Of the 1,207 respondents, 47% cited concerns over the economy, followed by poor and inefficient administration, political instability, weak leadership and race-related issues.

The main reasons cited for the country's underperformance were unfavourable economic condition, high cost of living, minimum wage and weakening of the ringgit.

"Issues driving voter motivations remain unchanged: the economy and inflation. Concerns over instability have evaporated, but there is a slight rise in identity politics (protection of Malay rights," said Merdeka Center.

Most respondents (52%) are dissatisfied with the government's performance in generating economic growth, while 64% are unhappy with measures to address cost of living issues.

Less than 50% believe that the government has done a poor job in helping people in financial distress.

Concerns over politics include the people's welfare, political instability and corruption.

The majority of respondents (52%) are dissatisfied with the government's performance in fighting corruption, although this issue has featured frequently in Anwar's speeches over the past two years since he took office.

Only 42% believe that the government upholds the rule of law, which contrasts with Anwar's claim justifying the crackdown on opposition leaders.

Overall, the findings show that Malaysians are still divided on the government's performance - 51% are satisfied and 47% are dissatisfied - a sign that two years of campaigning and sloganeering to promote the Madani issue has yet to bear fruit.