Malaysian PM tips election losses

Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has conceded that the ruling coalition is unlikely to score a repeat of its 2004 landslide victory in the next general elections.

Abdullah is expected to hold a ballot in March, but faces an array of negative factors including:

• public anger over rising food and fuel prices
• unprecedented street protests
• problems within coalition parties
• alleged discrimination against Malaysia's ethnic Indians.

Some main statements in press conference:

• "There were high expectations, a lot of things to change, but I cannot change everything and there was an expectation"
• This has to be done, that has to be done. It's not that we have not done anything, I've started to implement practically everything that I promised"
• "I have started to do it and it is in the process of being implemented. That's what we are doing".

After a resounding victory in 2004, which reversed losses made in 1999, commentators say the pendulum is likely to swing against the government again.