Malaysia PM says unlikely to match 2004 poll win

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's ruling coalition is unlikely to repeat its record 2004 election victory in the coming polls, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said on Tuesday.

"2004 was an exceptional time," he said after a closed-door meeting of his United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the bulwark of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

"If I get (the same results) I will be very happy. I'm very very frank," he told reporters. The 14-party coalition has been gearing up for a general election, widely expected to be called by the end of March.

In 2004 polls, his coalition took 199 of the 219 seats in parliament in what analysts called the "Abdullah phenomenon" following a 2003 power transition from former premier Mahathir Mohamad.

Abdullah's popularity has since taken a beating.

General elections are not due until next year but Abdullah has been widely expected to advance them to capitalise on a raft of state construction projects launched in the past 18 months.

The economy is one of the few bright spots for Abdullah's government, which has been battling allegations of racial and religious discrimination against the country's minorities and corruption in the civil service.