Survey shows Malaysians becoming more intolerant of differences amid rising ‘insular trust’ trend

“KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 — More Malaysians are becoming less tolerant of people with differing opinions and values, according to the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer, which points to a deepening “insular trust” mindset and widening social polarisation. Despite improving overall trust in institutions such as businesses and the government, the report suggests a worrying trend: Malaysians are increasingly retreating into familiar information environments and are less willing to trust those with different values, political views or cultural backgrounds. On average, 65 per cent of Malaysians now exhibit an insular trust mindset, while only 37 per cent regularly seek information from sources with differing political viewpoints, the survey found. The polarisation has also reached global highs. A staggering 87 per cent of Malaysian respondents said distrust towards people with differences has become so severe that individuals actively try to make things worse for one another — the highest level recorded across all surveyed markets. More than 70 per cent of Malaysians also believe foreign actors are deliberately spreading disinformation through local media to inflame domestic divisions, a concern second only to the United Arab Emirates. The office divide The report said this insularity has moved beyond a social issue and is now becoming an economic challenge. Up to 48 per cent of Malaysians admitted they would put less effort into helping a colleague or manager whose political beliefs differ from their own, while 38 per cent said they would prefer to switch departments entirely rather than work under a manager with different values. Edelman warned that, if left unchecked, this trend could affect workplace collaboration, productivity and talent mobility. Mazuin Zin, CEO and senior adviser for Edelman Southeast Asia, said Malaysia risks undermining its trust advantages if divisions deepen. “Bridging them is not just a social imperative; it is the precondition for the next phase of our growth,” Mazuin said in a statement, noting that trust is increasingly confined within familiar echo chambers. The expectation gap for leaders Employees across the Asia-Pacific region are looking to businesses to help bridge the divide, with 77 per cent saying employers have an obligation to build trust between different groups. However, only 54 per cent believe their employers are doing so effectively, leaving a 23-point performance gap. The gaps are even wider for government and media (37 points each), and NGOs (31 points). When navigating divisive social issues, 38 per cent of Malaysians believe businesses are most effective when they encourage cooperation without taking sides. This is higher than the 32 per cent who prefer companies to take a values-based stance, while 11 per cent believe businesses should remain completely silent. The annual online survey is in its 26th year. For the 2026 edition, it polled 33,938 respondents from 28 countries, or roughly 1,200 per country. The Trust Index is the average level of trust in business, government, media and NGOs. The firm said the insularity segmentation was created by grouping respondents into three categories based on their willingness to trust someone different from themselves. Respondents were assessed on differences in values, approaches to solving societal problems, trusted facts and sources, and culture or background. They were then asked to rate their willingness to trust someone across these dimensions on a standard scale.

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