A majority of Hawaii residents support the stalled Thirty Meter Telescope and say construction should move forward on the summit of Mauna Kea.

That’s the conclusion of a new statewide poll commissioned by the TMT International Observatory Corp. and released Monday.

Foes of the $1.4 billion telescope, however, described the poll as flawed and biased, part of a calculated campaign to win the hearts and minds of Hawaii residents during a lull in the construction standoff.

“It’s a sad commentary,” said Kealoha Pisciotta, leader of the Mauna Kea Hui, which is suing the stop the project. “Everyone knows polls are biased. It’s sad they assume people are so shallow.”

The poll, conducted by Ward Research Inc. of Honolulu, surveyed 613 residents at least 18 years old in a sample aimed at matching the demographics of Hawaii based on U.S. Census data.

The poll was conducted in October via both cellphone and landline and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, according to the research firm.

Among the key findings:

>> 88 percent agree there should be a way for science and Hawaiian culture to coexist on Maunakea.

>> 75 percent agree that TMT has followed a lengthy approval process, including permitting, community meetings and environmental impact statements, so work should proceed.

>> 74 percent agree that TMT will help create good-paying jobs and economic benefits for those living on the Big Island.

>> 63 percent agree that a failure to move forward with TMT after following all regulations would hurt Hawaii’s reputation as a place to do business.

>> 62 percent support moving ahead with the construction of TMT.

Also:

>> 59 percent of Big Island residents support moving ahead with the construction of TMT.

>> Among Hawaiians opinions are split, with 49 percent of those polled opposing the project and 44 percent supporting it.

Scott Ishikawa, TMT spokesman, said project officials wanted to gauge public sentiment during the construction break over the past four months.

The results, he said, reinforce the fact that most of Hawaii backs the project while acknowledging the rigorous regulatory hurdles the project had to clear.

People also appreciate the economic benefits the TMT will bring, he said. Those include the eventual payment of $1 million in annual rent, creating 300 jobs during nearly a decade of construction, employing 140 staff members when operational, and generating $26 million annually in observatory operations, according to TMT.

“We’re pleased with the support,” Ishikawa said.

Pisciotta, president of Mauna Kea Anaina Hou, said she doubts the support is as strong as advertised. She said some of the poll questions appear to have been leading or skewed to create responses that were preferred by TMT officials.

If asked, most people wouldn’t support breaking the law, she said. Yet that’s what the Mauna Kea Hui lawsuit at the state Supreme Court alleges happened when the state Board of Land and Natural Resources in 2011 voted for the telescope’s Conservation District Use Permit before holding a contested case hearing.

In addition to that due process violation, she said, the project tramples on the cultural and religious rights of Native Hawaiians, a state constitutional protection, and shamelessly tiptoes around the restrictions of the Conservation District.

“Would TMT get support on those questions?” she said.

Pisciotta said science and culture are already coexisting at the summit. The problem, she said, is that science is dominating and destroying the culture.

“There’s an obvious bias in this poll,” she added. “But even if the poll is correct, just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should. Slavery was supported prior to the civil rights movement, but that doesn’t make it right.”

LANAKILA Mangauil, a leader of the Mauna Kea protesters, said it’s clear not many surveyed in the poll are educated about the facts of the situation.

The reality, he said, is that the 18-story, 5-acre observatory building will cause too much damage to an extremely sensitive region.

The TMT is panicking and trying to drum up support with news of opinion polls, new astronomical discoveries and open houses at the summit, Mangauil said.

“It’s pathetic,” he said. “They didn’t follow the rules, and now they’re trying to throw out as much candy as they can.”

Ishikawa said a date for restarting construction is still being assessed by TMT officials.

Attempts to launch construction were halted in April and July after protesters blocked work crews.

TMT is a nonprofit partnership of the University of California and the California Institute of Technology, along with research institutions representing Canada, China, India and Japan.