Factors influencing confidence in the government during Tun Mahathir’s leadership era among industrial workers

Tun Mahathir Mohamad has remarkably seen as an influential leader when for the second time in his political life appointed as the seventh Malaysia’s Prime Minister at his 94 years old. Despite his age, he still receives a strong support for his good leadership when he took over the government after GE14. Nonetheless, not much is known on what contributes towards the public’s confidence in the government during his leadership tenure. Using Leadership Traits theory, this paper discusses factors that influences the public confidence in the government’s capability in managing the country during Tun Mahathir’s tenure as the Prime Minister. This study was part of a larger study that examined media use, political behavior and well-being of industrial workers in Malaysia. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among 474 industrial workers in Malaysia to gauge their perception on the factors that contribute towards their confidence on the government led by Tun Mahathir. Overall, the findings revealed positive relationships between perception on the condition of the country, Tun Mahathir’s leadership and confidence in the government. Implications on the Leadership Traits theory are also discussed