DISCUSSION FORUM
SARAWAK STATE ELECTIONS 2011: RESULTS AND IMPLICATIONS
8:30PM – 10:30PM
Tuesday, April 26th 2011
Kristal Ballroom 2, Level 1
Petaling Jaya Hilton
On April 16 2011, seven hundred thousand voters in Sarawak cast their votes in the 10th state elections. In a campaign that was described as the “toughest contest the ruling coalition has ever faced in Sarawak”, pundits and analysts describe the campaign as a referendum on the chief minister and his administration of Malaysia’s largest state. Despite the short 9-day campaign period, the contest was not short of drama – from the palpable mood for change evident in urban centers, the intense personal campaigns by national leaders such as prime minister Najib Tun Razak and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim along with the issues such as chief minister Taib Mahmud’s administration, Malay language bible controversy, sex video scandal and cyber attacks on online news portals – all of which aimed at voters of the 71 constituencies.
The forum will have speakers interact with the audience and provide insight on key questions such as:
· What do the results mean for Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat in the Sarawak and national context?
· Is there an urban-rural divide in political preferences? What are the implications for contesting parties and national politics?
· What impact will the results have on key players in the state and parties for the coming general election?
· How did the issues at play affect voters’ choices and what drove them to their conclusions on election day?
Merdeka Center for Opinion Research is proud to confirm the participation of the following distinguished scholars of Sarawak politics to lead the discussion.
DISCUSSION FORUM
SARAWAK STATE ELECTIONS 2011: RESULTS AND IMPLICATIONS
Tuesday, April 26th 2011
Kristal Ballroom 2, Petaling Jaya Hilton
PROGRAM
2015 – 2030
Registration and Arrival of Guests
2030 – 2040
Opening Remarks by Merdeka Center
2040 – 2140
Remarks by Moderator Prof James Chin (Monash) and Presentations by:
Dr Neilson Mersat (UNIMAS)
Dr Faizal Syam Hazis (UNIMAS)
Dr Andrew Aeria (UNIMAS)
Dr Wong Chin Huat (Monash)
2140 – 2230
Questions and Comments
2230 – 2235
Closing Remarks
Please confirm your attendance by replying to the following before noon April 25th 2011:
Email: reply@merdeka.org
Tel: 03 8210 1488 (Adzha)
SMS: 012 3387806
Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin 