Published June 2, 2009

Najib's poll ratings edge slightly higher

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(KUALA LUMPUR) The ratings of Malaysia's new prime minister, Najib Razak, edged slightly higher according to a poll published yesterday, although fewer than half of voters who responded said he was doing a good job.

Mr Najib: Fewer than half of voters polled say he is doing a good job

Mr Najib's poll rating climbed one percentage point to 45 per cent from a poll taken before he took office on April 3. He replaced Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who presided over big election losses in 2008 and a string of by-election defeats.

The new prime minister faces the tasks of rebuilding the National Front coalition that has ruled this South-east Asian country for 51 years and boosting an export-dependent economy that shrank by 6.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2009 from a year ago.

To do so, he has pledged to open up more sectors of the economy to foreign investment and as a result is removing some of the economic privileges given to the majority Malay population.

While 56 per cent of the 1,067 surveyed by independent pollster the Merdeka Centre between May 6-15 said they believed moves to liberalise the services sector were positive, Malays were less enthusiastic.

'Outward agreement of the measures was more subdued among Malay voters with 37 per cent expressing themselves positively,' the pollster said.

The biggest worry for Malaysians was the economy with 31 per cent citing 'unfavourable economic conditions in general' as their main concern.

According to the poll, 41 per cent of respondents believed Malaysia was headed in the right direction, up from 35 per cent in a poll published in April, while 42 per cent believed it was going wrong, down from 46 per cent in the prior poll. -- Reuters