Malaysian PM's Popularity Hits Low Ahead Of Poll

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 (Reuters) - The Malaysian prime minister's approval rating has hit a personal low as the country gears up for early elections, with voters unhappy over rising prices, racial tensions and crime, a pollster said on Friday.

The poll by market research firm Merdeka Center gave Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi an approval rating of 61 percent in December, the lowest since he took office in late 2004 and down by 10 percentage points from November.

A rating of around 60 percent would be considered decent in many Western democracies, but not in Malaysia where the opposition is weak and the mainstream media pro-government.

Badawi's rating has slipped from a high of 91 percent when he took power.

Lagi: http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/1773/46/