KUCHING: Some Dayak deputy ministers in the state government have reacted negatively to the "poor" performance ratings that they allegedly received from Dayak netizens in a recent online survey.
The survey was conducted by Fellow of Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) Professor Dr Jayum Jawan.
They questioned the methodology and criteria used in the survey, which they said did not reflect the actual performances of the ministers and deputy ministers on the ground.
"Statically improper as only 180 samples were taken to derive a conclusion from such a small sample," said state Deputy Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Dr Pengguang Mangil when asked to respond to the survey that rated his performance at 46 per cent.
He also questioned the selection of the respondents, alleging that it could be based on like-minded people.
"Jayum should distribute his questionnaires in the respective constituencies, that is, ask the voters rather than base on the perceptions of netizens, who have no idea of what the respective ministers and deputy ministers did in their own areas," he said.
State Deputy Tourism, Creative Industry and Performance Arts Minister Datuk Snowdan Lawan said the survey lacked credibility.
"Who are those respondents?" he asked, adding that they were a small group of 183 people, not 183,000.
Snowdan scored a mere 38 per cent rating in the survey.
However, state Deputy Minister in the Premier's Department Datuk Gerawat Gala was more receptive of the results even though he questioned the criteria used to assess the performance of ministers and deputy ministers.
He accepted his rating of 40 per cent "with an open heart", although he did not know who the respondents were.
"I believe there is always room for improvement in whatever task or role given to us as leaders.
"As politicians, we regard the election as an acid test and accept the assessment of our performance," he said, adding that the electorate and voters would be the ultimate assessor and judge of the ministers and deputy ministers' performances.
State Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah also said she respected the views of the people.
She said she believed that the public feedback, whether positive or critical, was important for leaders to reflect and improve on their performance.
"Surveys like this can be a useful tool to gauge public perception, but it is equally important to evaluate the credibility of the survey, particularly its methodology.
"Factors such as the sample size, demographics, survey questions and whether the sample is representative of the population play a crucial role in ensuring the accuracy and credibility of the findings.
"As members of the Sarawak cabinet, we remain committed to serving the people to the best of our abilities," Fatimah said, adding that constructive feedback — when grounded in credible data — could provide valuable insight for the ministers and deputy ministers to make improvements.
"We encourage continuous engagement between the government and the people so that concerns can be directly addressed, and we can work together to create meaningful change," she said.
"While this survey may highlight certain perceptions, it is vital to ensure that the feedback is based on robust data to truly reflect public sentiment," said Fatimah.
However, she was not on the list of ministers and deputy ministers assessed in Jayum's survey.
In a statement published in the online news portal Dayak Daily yesterday, Jayum said out of 18 Sarawak Dayak ministers and deputy ministers evaluated by Dayak netizens recently, only three received approval ratings of 50 per cent and above for their performance.
He said the survey was based on 172 to 183 respondents that he conducted online for Dayak netizens to gauge their perception and opinion on the performance of 18 selected
Dayak ministers and deputy ministers at the federal and state levels.