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Will PM Abdullah Badawi's approval ratings drop further below the post-Hindraf low of 61 percent-point? More so after former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad renewed his criticism on Mr Somnambulism today?

Riding high on approval ratings of 91% in November 2004, Abdullah plunged to 78%, then to 63%, after Mahathir started criticisising him for gross incompetence since April 2006 (See 3-year approval ratings chart here).

In firing his salvos, Mahathir obviously chose his transmission agents rather well. Today, he talked to a select group of foreign correspondents as, I believe, he must be convinced that his opinions will be blacked out by the local mainstream media which even bloggers despise and boycott every Tuesday.

Backdropped against the imminent general election, the foreign correspondents asked if Abdullah should quit for his leadership failure, Mahathir replied:

"It is up to him to decide. It's also up to the people to decide. If the people want him to move on, if they think his administration is not benefiting them, they should make a decision."

Old cocks like Samy Vellu and Rafidah Aziz may have to take extra note as Mahathir also advised that voters must get rid of dead wood in the (Barisan Nasional) coalition. Quote:

"But there are certain people whose contribution is negative. These people should not be chosen as candidates."

Reading from the interview, Mahathir came to this conclusion, and I quote, by taking Abdullah to task for "wasting (public) money", and asserting that the domestic economy is in "bad shape" without a rally in commodity prices.

He also accused the Abdullah Administration of lacking "guts" and selling out Malaysian sovereignty."I still disagree on several of his policies, mainly allowing Malaysians to be subject to Singapore's wishes," he said.

Be that as it may, Mahathir stil believes that Barisan Nasional will still run the country after the coming general election.

"I still support the party and I still believe the party will win with a good majority but one must not confuse support for the party with support for the individual," he said.

Mahathir also shared what the Son-in-Law has been talking about Anwar Ibrahim. Mahathir said his former deputy would not be a major factor in the coming elections.

"There's no more political future for him. If he thinks he's going to be the prime minister, it's daydreaming of the worst kind," he said.

Dr M launching latest book

Tomorrow, Mahathir will launch a new book, titled “Dr. Mahathir’s Selected Letters to World Leaders”.

This will be the first time his personal correspondence with world leaders had been declassified and published.

The book is a compilation of 71 previously confidential letters that Mahathir wrote to such world leaders as George H Bush, George W Bush, William Jefferson ‘Bill’ Clinton, John Major and Jacques Chirac.

“These letters should be read in the context of the time in which they were written,” so says the preamble.

Previewing the book, James Wong wrote two weeks ago that,

“Poor Malaysia!” This is the prognosis for the country from ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the prologue of his newly-published book, in relation to the captaincy of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his hardcore supporters (whom Mahathir referred to in his book as 'the sycophants' besides a mention of the infamous spin-doctors).

Haris Ibrahim (People's Parliament and 'Boycott the Newspapers') should know that Mahathir's foreword in the book also touches on media freedom under the Abdullah Administration.

Mahathir writes that "news in the mainstream media is so censored and spun by spin doctors that the prime minister cannot possibly know the feelings and frustrations of the majority of the people … fortunately for the government, Malaysians abhor violence when expressing their anger”.

He also notes that, “So things must become much worse before they would show their (people’s) true feelings in any way. In the meantime, the sycophants will continue to enjoy their day. Poor Malaysia!”

Present government refuses to declassify more letters

This is an important context because the supposedly juicier part of Mahathir's letters had been embargoed as long as Abdullah Badawi is in power.

According to James Wong, the editor of Dr Mahathir's book Abdullah Ahmad -- aka Dollah Kok Lanas (DKL) -- had told him that Mahathir initially wanted to publish about 200 letters.

However, the present government only allowed 84 to be declassified and 13 were further dropped with the consent of the editor and publisher “because they are relatively unimportant”.

DKL’s introduction to the book states that those letters withheld by the current government are actually “more noteworthy and interesting”.

“The selection, to my mind, of the letters to be released was poor. It was imposed on him (Mahathir) by the government of his successor,” he said, adding that Mahathir is currently writing his memoirs.

Interestingly, book editor Dollah Kok Lanas is someone emplaced by Mahathir but Abdullah Badawi decided to sack as soon as he took over as the Prime Minister. Kalimullah Masheerul Hassan was soon placed in DKL's position as the NSTP's successive GEIC and the rest, as they say, is history.

I will rush back from Penang to witness Mahathir's book launch and, perhaps, ask him some questions like why those one hundred letters could not be declassified for us to know.

And thanks for the invitation, Tun.