The Rahmah Nation is a Malaysian aspiration grounded in MADANI societal values that emphasises harmonious living, mutual respect, and cooperation in building a peaceful and prosperous country amidst religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity. This aspiration aligns with the concept of Baldatun Tayyibatun wa Rabbun Ghafur (A Good Land with a Most Forgiving Lord).
The Malaysia Rahmah Nation Index (IMNR) was developed by Pertubuhan IKRAM Malaysia as an instrument to evaluate Malaysia’s progress towards realising the aspiration of becoming a Rahmah Nation. Since its inception in 2021, the IMNR has undergone several enhancement processes. The 2025 edition of the IMNR (IMNR 2025) has been restructured into three main dimensions: Political, Economic, and Social, altogether encompassing 15 characteristics, 40 indicators, and 120 assessment items.
These improvements render the IMNR more comprehensive and holistic, aligned with current developments, and guided by the MADANI framework, the Thirteenth Malaysia Plan (RMK-13), and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The index was developed with the involvement of multiple government agencies, civil society organizations, community groups across various religions and ethnicities, and academics from diverse disciplines.
This study employed a two-stage cluster sampling method. A survey was conducted from 26 September 2025 to 15 November 2025. Sample sizes for each state were determined proportionately based on population distribution. District and locality clusters were selected randomly, covering both urban and rural areas.
The study involved 3,030 respondents aged 18 and above with post-SPM education, representing a multi-ethnic society with diverse backgrounds. The questionnaire was developed in Malay and used to measure public perceptions in Malaysia. A higher score on the index indicates a higher level of attainment of a Rahmah Nation.
Malaysia scored an overall of 7.42 on the IMNR 2025, placing it moderately. However, this reflects an improvement from its performances on IMNR 2023 (7.24), IMNR 2022 (6.47), and IMNR 2021 (6.09). The Social Dimension recorded the highest score at 8.03, followed by the Economic Dimension (7.13) and the Political Dimension (7.08).
The study found that the three highest-scoring characteristics were Characteristic 6: Strong Family Institution (8.51), followed by Characteristic 5: A Happy, Ethical, and Caring Society (8.22), and Characteristic 7: Harmonious Relations amongst Diverse Ethnic Groups and Religious Adherents (8.04). Conversely, the three lowest-scoring characteristics were Characteristic 9: Equitable Distribution of Wealth (6.78), Characteristic 8: Sustainable Economy (6.94), and Characteristic 2: A Governance System Based on Effective Checks and Balances (6.95).
In conclusion, IMNR 2025 demonstrates promising progress towards achieving the Malaysia Rahmah Nation vision, in line with the aspirations of the MADANI government. IMNR 2025 is expected to serve as a benchmark for assessing the effectiveness of policy implementation, identifying gaps between planning and actual impact, and strengthening public trust through more transparent approaches to holistic national development.
Pertubuhan IKRAM Malaysia
