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Poll says rich are confident

Wealthy Asians are optimistic over their economic prospects but fear terrorism, a regional online survey released in Manila yesterday said.

"Economic sentiment has improved and [should] strengthen further in the coming year," according to an April 28-May 11 online poll of 9,485 consumers from 13 countries and territories.

Many of these areas "recently had an election or are holding their elections this year," said Esther Capistrano, AC Nielsen managing director in the Philippines.

"It seems that during this period countries in these areas are optimistic, looking forward to better times with the elections," she told reporters.

Capistrano said the respondents comprise the region's economic upper classes who have access to the Internet.

The poll sought to gauge the region's sentiment in the context of recent events.

"While terrorism as a concern is overshadowed by job security, the economy, health and political stability, 61 percent have some anxiety about the possibility of being caught in a random terror attack," the study said.

"Filipinos have the highest level of anxiety in the region over being caught in a random terror attack, either for themselves or for a family member."

Indians, at 86 percent, were the most optimistic about their economy, followed by Hong Kong (70 percent), Singapore (67 percent) and China (66 percent).

Only 30 percent of respondents were optimistic in Japan, 19 percent in the Philippines and eight percent in South Korea.

South Koreans (49 percent) were the people most concerned over job security, followed by Singaporeans (41 percent), and Filipinos (35 percent).

Across the region, the poll found more than half of respondents would change food purchases or consumption patterns "when a health scare strikes."

Twenty-eight percent of Indonesians listed political stability as their biggest concern, followed by 27 percent of Taiwanese and 25 percent of Indians.

Meanwhile, about a third of the respondents "would definitely express opinions publicly, the most popular method being through writing [to] a newspaper."
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