NOT EVEN BR1M CAN SAVE BN NOW! Najib's approval rating PLUNGES to 52%

UPDATE2 KUALA LUMPUR - Prime Minister  Najib Razak's approval rating has plunged a shocking 10 percentage points or by nearly 20% to its lowest level ever at 52% compared with 62% three months ago in September.

"It is regrettable that BN supporters are waking up too late to see the true colors of the PM. This is a grave warning to him that he better not try to bully the people now that Umno-BN are in control of Parliament. If Najib continues to bully the 'rakyat' (citizenry), not even BR1M 3, 4,5 can save him and his coalition," Opposition MP for Lembah Pantai Nurul Izzah told Malaysia Chronicle.

She was referring to the two rounds of RM500 cash vouchers that the Najib administration handed out as costs of living 'aid' to the people in the the run up to the May 5 general election but which the Opposition says is the same as vote buying.

'Secret weapon' no more

Indeed, BR1M has been regarded as Najib's 'secret weapon' but with the national coffers at low tide and government debt at record high, there is little room left for Najib to maneuver.

He rushed to jack up fuel prices in September, abolished the sugar subsidy and is slated to raise electricity tariffs as well as slap on an exorbitant toll rate hike on road uses come 2014.

However, it looks like the Malaysian people have sniffed out the rat in Najib's political strategy, albeit a bit too late.

Few have confidence in his grandiose economic visions and balk at his outright racial bullying of the non-Malay minorities and using Islamic conservatism to control his own Malay community, which form the bulk of Malaysia's 28 million population.

Not surprisingly, respondents in the Merdeka Centre survey voted with their feet.

According to the pollster, the shock plunge in Najib's rating was the due to the respondents' concern about the economy and their lack of confidence in the government's ability to steer the country out of its currently high-risk position.

Fear of recession and a lack of confidence in Umno-BN and Najib's ability

Indeed, worry about the economy, particularly rising costs and inflation, rose to its highest ever level, up to 67% of all respondents.

In another blow to Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, the Merdeka survey also found that 54% of respondents did not believe in the statements made by the government leaders about Malaysia’s economic situation.

"We have always said Najib should resign as the Finance Minister and let someone else with greater skills, knowledge and professionalism handle the job of Finance Minister," said Nik Nazmi, the assemblyman for Seri Setia.

The Merdeka Centre survey was conducted after Najib slashed fuel subsidies in September and announced the implementation of the dreaded Goods and Services Tax (GST) at the 2014 Budget presentation.

The survey found that 55% of Peninsular Malaysia voters said that they did not  quite understand how GST will affect them.

Najib's ministers have so far announced electricity tariff hikes due for next year as well as a stiff increment in toll rates by between 50 sen and RM2. Both moves have been sharply criticized by the people, civil society as well as the Opposition.

The critics point out that the barrage of subsidy slashes and higher prices will lift costs of living to an unbearable level for the man in the street. Currently, most ordinary Malaysians already feel the pinch of higher fuel and transport costs, while real wages have remain stagnant for the past few years. - Malaysia Chronicle