Arientha Primanita – A national poll has highlighted widespread perception of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as indecisive, while identifying two of his Democratic Party subordinates as the worst-performing public officials.

Umar Bakry, executive director of the National Survey Institute (LSN), said on Monday that 47.2 percent of the 1,230 respondents polled nationwide characterized Yudhoyono as being "indecisive and hesitant, even though he comes from a military background."

Another 15.3 percent saw Yudhoyono as not willing to take risks, while 11.7 percent believed he lacked the backing of his staff and administration.

Some 4.6 percent questioned his commitment on a variety of issues, while 4.3 percent saw him as not having a clear vision and 1.9 percent deemed him as being out of touch with the people.

Almost half of those questioned said there had been no improvement in the economy during Yudhoyono's second five-year term in office that began in 2009.

"A large number, 48.7 percent, said that their household wealth had remained the same and had not improved," Umar said. "A total of 17.3 percent of those questioned even said that their household wealth had declined and only 31.2 percent said it had improved."

A total of 55.4 percent of respondents said conditions in general in the country during Yudhoyono's second term had not improved compared to his first term. "Some 25.9 percent even deemed the current conditions worse than in the first five years of his presidency," Umar said.

The LSN poll identified the anti-corruption campaign, poverty alleviation and job creation as the most pressing issues for most people, which the government needed to address seriously.

The same survey also revealed that Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng, a senior Democrat, was considered the worst-performing public official in the country, thanks largely to three major graft scandals that have rocked his ministry.

Some 12.3 percent named Andi as the worst-performing official, more than double the 5.9 percent for fellow Democrat and Justice and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin in second spot.

"For Andi, the figure is so high because of all the corruption cases dogging his ministry," Umar said. "It also has a lot to do with the shoddy construction and poor management of SEA [Southeast Asian] Games, the PON [National Games] and Indonesia's declining achievement [on the international sporting stage]."

The ministry is also embroiled in graft allegations centered on the SEA Games and the National Games, as well as a controversial project to build a sports center in Hambalang, Bogor. Hatta Rajasa, the coordinating minister for the economy, tied for third with Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar in the LSN survey, with 5.2 percent each.

"The public perceived Hatta as the person responsible for the nation's economic mismanagement," Umar said.

Public disapproval of Muhaimin, meanwhile, stems from graft allegations and the failure to end a series of abuses of Indonesian migrant workers abroad.