Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's rise in approval ratings may mean a snap poll as soon as November, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang predicted today.
Some political observers have said that the prime minister needs to secure a fresh mandate by calling an election before the 2013 deadline.
Some political observers have said that the prime minister needs to secure a fresh mandate by calling an election before the 2013 deadline.
- According to independent polling firm Merdeka Center, Najib was staring at low approval ratings of only 45 per cent as of May, one month after being sworn in as prime minister.
- A series of reform-minded policy announcements later and Najib's ratings have risen sharply to 65 per cent by the end of June.
- With his message of racial unity and lifting of ethnic quotas in selected sectors of the services and financial industry, he also appears to have won back a significant chunk of the non-Malay support that fled to the opposition during the last general election due to racial politics practised by the Barisan Nasional.
- Approval ratings among Chinese and Indians are at 48 and 74 per cent respectively, up from 24 and 64 per cent in May.
- Lim says that if approval ratings keep rising, the prime minister may call an election this year.
- Monash University Malaysia political analyst James Chin disagrees however that the prime minister will call a snap election based solely on approval ratings, but will wait until the economy recovers from the current slowdown.
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