Malaysians are apparently some of the most connected people in Asia; and yet they are also some of the most distrustful of new technology. A study conducted by market research firm Kantar TNS shows that those surveyed in Malaysia are overwhelmingly sceptical about social media and online data collection.
The study found that only 17% of Malaysians fully believe what they see on social media; leaving the country as one of the least trusting when it comes to online information. This mentality also extends to major brands; with only 41% of Malaysian respondents trusting what they have to say. That said, we are still more likely to trust brands than most other countries in Asia Pacific.
Interacting with AI and chatbots is also something that many Malaysians would rather not do. Only 38% said that they would interact with a chatbot if it made things easier; while 30% said that they would outright not talk to a bot under any circumstances.
E-commerce also suffers in Malaysia, with attempts to make online shopping more seamless falling short. Less than one in three people feel comfortable buying something with their smartphones. As far as Kantar can tell, cash is still king in the country.
There seems to be a rather large amount of resistance to new technology in Malaysia. Especially since Kantar’s survey was a rather extensive 70,000 people across 56 countries. Some of which involved indepth interviews to better understand their views. This, perhaps, will change over time as people become more comfortable with the internet. Or maybe it’s Malaysians being aware and practical about the dangers of being online.
