Malaysian premier's popularity hits new low: poll

Agence France-Presse - 8/1/2008 10:10 AM GMT

The popularity of Malaysia's prime minister has hit a new low, a survey said, after an increase in fuel prices compounded rising economic and political concerns.

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More than half the people surveyed by independent research firm Merdeka Centre said they were dissatisfied with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, whose ruling party suffered one of its worst electoral defeats in March.

Just 42 percent of the 1,030 people interviewed said they were pleased with his management of the country -- sharply down from around 91 percent when he took power in 2004.

Only 28 percent of registered voters were satisfied with the economic and political direction of the country, said the survey, released late Thursday.

"This may be in part due to a deepening concern over the state of the economy as a majority (59 percent) were worried over economic related issues followed by 10 percent who cited political issues as being most important," the centre's director Ibrahim Suffian said in a statement.

In June, Abdullah announced a deeply unpopular 41 percent increase in fuel prices to cut a ballooning subsidy bill.

Meanwhile, two-thirds of respondents viewed recent sodomy charges against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as politically motivated, while only 11 percent believed the accusations.

Former deputy premier Anwar is seeking to return to parliament following a 10-year absence during which he was jailed on separate charges of sodomy -- an offence under Malaysian law -- which were later overturned.