Snap! It's an election

摘要

Ethnic strife, rising prices and sagging approval ratings are poor portents of electoral success. So this week's dissolution of parliament by Malaysia's prime minister, Abdullah Badawi, more than a year before its term expires, suggests his strategists have some tricks up their sleeves. Or perhaps they reckon the going is unlikely to improve, and may worsen if America suffers a recession. The Election Commission has set March 8th as the date of the ballot.