KUALA LUMPUR: Most Malaysians say they will be appalled if the country were to leave the Commonwealth but know very little about the grouping, according to a recent poll by the Royal Commonwealth Society.
Malaysia came out last among the seven countries polled: 11% of the 514 Malaysian respondents even thought that US President Barack Obama headed the Commonwealth when the United States was not even a member of the 53-nation grouping.
“Only 27% of Malaysians were aware that the Commonwealth is headed by Queen Elizabeth II,” revealed Britain’s Royal Common- wealth Society (RCS) director Dr Danny Sriskandarajah.
Malaysians were, however, supportive of the grouping, with 69% claiming that they would feel sorry if the country were no longer a member of the Commonwealth.
The poll was conducted by the RCS among 6,203 respondents between March and July this year, with the other nations being Aus- tralia, Canada, India, Jamaica, South Africa and Britain.
Dr Sriskandarajah said the poll showed that there was a need for the Commonwealth to reach out to youth and enhance awareness on its role to remain relevant in the 21st century.
“The group is generally accepted by people but many know little about it or are unclear about its purpose today. We need to raise the Commonwealth’s profile,” he said after leading a “Commonwealth Conversation” discussion organised by the RCS at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here on Monday.
Dr Sriskandarajah suggested that the grouping increase the number of scholarships to study in member nations and encourage youth to learn more about Commonwealth countries.
“An advertising campaign to promote the Commonwealth will not work because people needed to feel a real connection with the grouping,” he added.
The Commonwealth, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, is not a political union but an inter-governmental organisation through which countries with diverse social, political and economic backgrounds are regarded as equal in status.
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