Anil Netto has his take on Hindu Malaysian voters in his blog. Abdullah's government is also expected to raise oil prices some time this year and would clearly prefer to do so after, rather than before, general elections, given the strong protests that erupted in the wake of the last hike in 2006. The longer his government puts off the election, the more oil subsidies it will have to absorb. Fuel and gas subsidies reportedly now cost the government around 40 billion ringgit, or US$12 billion, per year.

The current sense of public discontent could spread. Two major demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur last November, and a series of smaller protests in the last couple of months, have clearly unnerved the ruling establishment.

Abdullah, who is also head of UMNO, has had to endure pot-shots from his predecessor, former premier Mahathir Mohamad, over his economic decision-making and allegations of undue influence among his closest advisers. The Malaysian Chinese Association, is still reeling from a video sex scandal involving the health minister, who was previously regarded as a potential challenger for the party leadership. As the scandal unwinds, some believe it could further deepen factional rifts within the party.

Some of the issues that have raised public ire include widening economic marginalization, a rising crime rate, and a soaring cost of living. Infringements of minority religious rights, including local authority-backed demolitions of several Hindu temples to make way for development projects, are also expected to be an issue among significant sections of the Indian community. Many Christians and Sikhs, meanwhile, are also peeved over a new government prohibition on other faiths using the word Allah.

A video clip showed a well-connected lawyer discussing judicial appointments and promotions with a top judge in 2001, suggesting political and business interference in the process. In what appeared to be an attempt at damage control, a commission of inquiry with narrow terms of reference is now investigating the video and its politically explosive implications.

The complaints range from the economic marginalization of Indian-Malaysians, concerns over rising inflation, and perhaps most significantly, the need for electoral reforms, including the abolition of postal votes, fairer access for all candidates to the media and a revision of the electoral rolls. The longer Abdullah holds out, the greater the possibility that public sentiment against his administration snowballs and translates into less votes for UMNO and its coalition partners. In full, Anil Netto in the Asia Times Online.