UCSI Poll Research Centre

13/04/2026

Should Malaysia bring back UPSR and PT3? 🇲🇾

A new survey by the UCSI Poll Research Centre reveals that 60.2% of parents support reinstating national exams, signalling a growing lack of confidence in the current school-based assessment system.

Here’s what 1,512 Malaysians nationwide had to say:
📊 55.2% believe standardised exams maintain education standards
📊 49.7% say national exams help identify learning gaps early
📊 35.1% disagree that school-based assessment is a better alternative

But it is not just about bringing exams back. UCSI Poll Research Centre Director Prof Dr Eugene Aw says the bigger question is why Malaysians doubt the fairness and rigour of the current system.

“The relevant authorities must first address these structural issues and place greater emphasis on teacher training, moderation processes and assessment standards.”

What do you think? Should national exams make a comeback? Drop your thoughts in the comments below. 👇

31/03/2026

Should UPSR and PT3 make a comeback?

Some say they gave students direction. Others say they created unnecessary stress.

Parents, where do you stand?

过半受访者认为，标准化考试比校本评估更为客观，不仅有助于维持国家教育水平，也能及早发现学生的学习差距。
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30/03/2026

Very happy to share a milestone from our collaboration in Timor-Leste. Our joint survey work with Dili Institute of Technology (DIT) on the country’s higher education landscape has now been featured in the media.

Following the launch of UCSI Graduate Business School’s DBA programme with DIT, Professor Eugene Aw, as Director of the UCSI Poll Research Centre, partnered with DIT to carry out this study with a simple but important goal: to better understand how higher education can contribute to the future of Timor-Leste.

It is especially heartening to see that people in Timor-Leste place such strong value on higher education and its role in creating opportunities, improving lives, and supporting national development.

We are thankful to DIT for the partnership and proud that this collaboration is contributing in a significant way, not just through education programmes, but through research that can help inform and inspire impact.

Celebrating this as one step forward, and looking ahead to many more!

02/03/2026

Today, it was a pleasure to host the Executive Program for Parliamentary Officers (EPPO) delegation from King Prajadhipok's Institute Thailand, Thailand, at the UCSI Poll Research Centre, UCSI University.

We welcomed a distinguished group led by the Assistant Secretary, joined by Directors (Training & Human Capital Development; Human Resources Development), and 40+ parliamentary officers.

Our Director, Professor Eugene Aw, delivered a session on how to make polling actually useful for public decision-making (not just for headlines), by applying marketing research rigour to improve policy efficacy, compliance, and trust.

Special thanks to the Dean of UCSI Graduate Business School, Professor K.H. Keoy, Alan for kindly supporting the session; this also gave us a timely platform to showcase UCSI and the UCSI Graduate Business School's programmes and achievements.

Looking forward to building partnerships with King Prajadhipok's Institute Thailand to generate more research, governance, and real-world impact! ☺️

24/12/2025

At the UCSI Poll Research Centre, we believe that understanding our social data is the first step toward building stronger communities. The latest national figures for 2024 reveal a slight shift in how Malaysian families are evolving.

The Big Numbers:
Total Marriages: 190,304 couples tied the knot in 2024, representing a 0.9% increase compared to the previous year.
Total Divorces: 60,457 divorces were recorded nationwide, an increase of 4.1% from 2023.

National Rates (per 1,000 population):
Crude Marriage Rate (CMR): Stood steady at 5.6.
Crude Divorce Rate (CDR): Rose slightly to 1.8 from 1.7 in the previous year.

While more Malaysians are celebrating new unions, the rise in transitions reminds us of the importance of support systems for modern families. As a research center, we are keeping a close eye on these trends to help inform better community initiatives.

What do you think is driving the steady increase in both registrations and transitions in our society?

We will be launching a poll survey to understand this soon!

Data Source: Marriage, Divorce and Rujuk Statistics, Malaysia, 2025, Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

12/12/2025

UCSI Poll Research Centre is pleased to share that following UCSI University’s and UCSI Graduate Business School's recent engagement in Timor-Leste, we will be initiating a series of poll research collaborations to support evidence-based decision-making.

This series will be led by the Centre’s Director, Professor Dr Eugene Aw, and will cover both micro-level and macro-level insights.

Micro-level studies will focus on community and sector perspectives, such as education and training needs, employability, local enterprise and service experience, and youth and household priorities.

Macro-level studies will track broader public sentiment that can inform policy and development planning, such as national priorities, institutional trust, socio-economic outlook, public confidence, and emerging needs.

Through this series, we aim to contribute timely and credible insights that strengthen programme design, communication effectiveness, and long-term development planning across Timor-Leste. 💡

We Ask. We Analyze. We Advise. ℹ️
Join us on Linkedin! https://lnkd.in/gGxWiW8h

07/12/2025

What do Malaysians really think about ASEAN Summit 2025? 🎭

A new survey by the UCSI Poll Research Centre shows strong optimism:

💼 66% expect the Summit to lead to better trade agreements and more job opportunities
🏷️ Top priorities Malaysians want ASEAN to tackle:
- Reducing the cost of living (44%)
- Job creation (41%)

👀 87% say they’re aware of the Summit but many still aren’t clear about its actual purpose

With Malaysia recently hosting the 47th ASEAN Summit and playing a key role in regional integration, economic cooperation and security, expectations are clearly high at home.

The big question now is:
👉 Will ASEAN Summit 2025 turn this optimism into real, everyday benefits for Malaysians?

I’d love to hear from you:
What outcomes do you want to see from ASEAN Summit 2025?

We Ask. We Analyze. We Advise. ℹ️
Join us on Linkedin! https://lnkd.in/gGxWiW8h

07/12/2025

We’re happy to share that UCSI Poll Research Centre has appointed a new Director - Associate Professor Dr Eugene Aw!

Associate Professor Dr Eugene Aw is also the Head of Research & Postgraduate Studies at UCSI Graduate Business School.

With this appointment, the Centre will continue to focus on what matters most: listening to people, understanding their views, and turning those insights into better decisions for our community and society.

We will keep building our work in public opinion research, survey design, modelling analysis and evidence-based policy insights, while exploring new ideas, partnerships and ways of working.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the Centre so far. More updates, insights and polls are on the way. Please follow UCSI Poll Research Centre to stay connected.

We Ask. We Analyze. We Advise. ℹ️

Join us on Linkedin! https://lnkd.in/gGxWiW8h