Attitudes toward
Democracy, Stability, Community:
Malaysia Asia Barometer Findings in Comparative
Perspective
by
Mr. Tan Seng Keat
Merdeka Center for Opinion Research
Dr Kai-Ping Huang
National Taiwan University
Prof. Bridget Welsh
Ipek University
3rd DECEMBER 2015 | 10.00 am – 12.00 pm | IKMAS Seminar Room
IKMAS Seminar Series No.9/2015
The National University of Malaysia
ABSTRACT
This joint presentation details the findings of the Malaysia 4th wave (2013-2015) Asia Barometer Survey and shows how Malaysian political attitudes compare to its regional neighbors and, using earlier ABS data from 2nd-3rd waves, and have changed over the last decade. Special focus centers on political values, trust in institutions, social capital and trust, ethnic relations, support and understanding of democracy and views of globalization and regional powers. The session will include three presentations, on the ABS methodology, cross-regional comparisons and changes over time.
BIODATA
Seng Keat, Tan is research manager for Merdeka Center for Opinion Research, a leading public opinion polling firm in Malaysia. He has more than 12 years’ experience in survey research range from socio-economic and commercial analysis of Malaysia and the Asia Pacific region.
He is a member of the ABS Malaysia team for 2011 and 2014. He was also involved in the ABS Myanmar 2015 as a technical consultant and trainer. He co-authored Muslim Youth in South East Asia – Malaysia Country Report (2010, Friedrich Naumann Foundation) and authored
“Preliminary Findings on Understanding Malaysia Voter’ Motivations before GE13” (in the proceedings of Election and Democracy Conference, 9-11 Nov 2011, University Malaysia Sarawak). His research interests include democratization in Asia and party systems.
Kai-Ping Huang is a postdoctoral fellow of the Center for East Asia Democratic Studies, National Taiwan University. She recently received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, where she received the prestigious McDonald and the Taiwan Study Abroad Scholarships. She co-authored the 2014 UNDP report on youth and political attitudes. She has published in academic journals, including Taiwan Journal of Democracy. She is a member of the Asian Barometer Survey Research and Global Barometer Survey networks, working primarily on surveys in Asia. She recently was a member of the Myanmar ABS team. Her research interests include formal political institutions, party systems, and democratization in East and Southeast Asia.
Bridget Welsh is Professor of Political Science at Ipek University. She specializes in Southeast Asian politics, with particular focus on Malaysia, Myanmar and Singapore. She has edited/
written numerous books including, Reflections: The Mahathir Years, Legacy of Engagement in Southeast Asia, Impressions of the Goh Chok Tong Years, Democracy Takeoff? The B.J. Habibie Period, Awakening: The Abdullah Badawi Years (a Malay edition Bangkit was published in 2014). She is the Asian Barometer Survey Southeast Asia core lead, and is currently directing the survey project in Malaysia and advising the project in Myanmar. Prior to joining Ipek, she taught at Singapore Management University, the School of Advanced International Studies of the Johns Hopkins University in Washington DC and Hofstra University in New York. She received her doctorate in political science from Columbia University, her language training at Cornell University (FALCON) and bachelor’s degree from Colgate University. She also is a Senior Research Associate of the Center for East Asia Democratic Studies of National Taiwan University, a Senior Associate Fellow of The Habibie Center, a University Fellow of Charles Darwin University and a Senior Advisor for Freedom House and a member of the International Research Council of the National Endowment for Democracy.
