Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi says he is about to call a general election, state run Bernama news agency reported.

“(I’m) about to,” Abdullah said with a smile in reply to a reporter’s question on whether he was inspired to call for polls. A general election is not due until 2009, but Abdullah is widely expected to hold snap elections by the end of March to capitalise on a raft of state construction projects launched in the past 18 months.

Abdullah, who led the ruling coalition to a landslide victory in 2004 polls, has seen his support eroded by growing racial and religious tensions as Malaysia’s minority ethnic Chinese and Indian communities fear that their rights are being trampled on.

In November, more than 10,000 ethnic Indians took to the streets to complain that they had been overlooked for job and education opportunities.

Asked if the protest by the Indians would affect the outcome of the coming election, Abdullah said on Thursday: “Might be, a little bit. But nothing more than that.”