One In Five Malaysians Believe Their Life Is Very Stressful. My, What Optimism!

One in five Malaysians believe that their life is very stressful at the moment, and the difficulty in balancing life with work is creating increased stress for them, according to global market intelligence company, Synovate.

Its Managing Director (Malaysia) Steve Murphy said based on the survey carried out by the company on 10,000 Peninsular Malaysians, 28 per cent of the Chinese claimed that they have been feeling the strain compared to 22 per cent Indians and 18 per cent Malays.

"Despite the increased pressure Malaysians are feeling, the sanctity of marriage still holds firm," he said in a statement issued here Tuesday. He said with two thirds of all Malaysians agreeing that married life is better than being single," the survey showed that Malaysians value marriage and the sense of family it brings. "Malaysia should be proud for being a country that nurtures family bonds, with the inherent family unity to likely help maintain a strong foundation for the country and its people, "he said.

Murphy said however although most Malaysians believe being married is better than being single, more than one third of them think a successful career and a happy family life are not compatible. Although Malaysians have strong family ties and believe in marriage, many are struggling to find a balance between their work and family life.

"Malaysians are united in their view towards family values but are finding it increasingly difficult to incorporate these values into their busy, modern, lives," he said.

"Almost three quarters (72 per cent) of Malaysians said that they are interested in hearing their parents' opinion, and the majority believe strongly in the role of the family and building one of their own.

"However, with just under one third (31 per cent) of Malaysians surveyed believing that you cannot have a successful career and a happy family life at the same time, it is clear that many are finding it difficult to maintain their family commitments alongside their demanding work obligations," he added.

Murphy said the Chinese are the most independent group with 56 per cent ready to listen to their parents compared with 79 per cent Malays and 77 per cent Indians.

"When it comes to a successful union, Malays (72 per cent) and Indians (62 percent) are particularly wedded to the idea of a blissful marriage, while respondents over 30 years old (72 per cent) are convinced that marriage is better than being single when compared to the younger generation (15 to 19 years old (48 per cent) and 20 to 24 years old (57 per cent)," he said.

He said the survey, under the Synovate Media Atlas - a media consumption, lifestyle and attitudes study conducted in Malaysia, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Thailand, is being carried out via face to face and telephone interviews. (Bernama
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