APWLD Women's Participation in Political Processes (WPPP) programme through its affiliation with Southeast Asian Association for Gender Studies (SAMA) sponsored a panel at the 5th Malaysian Studies Conference (MSC5). The aptly titled panel "Political Participation: Women's Election Strategies (Asia-Pacific Region)" was based on "Seethings and Seatings: Strategies of Women's Political Participation in Asia-Pacific", a book publishing the results of a research project undertaken by the WPPP Task Force in 2005 on Strategies in Women's Political Participation.

As a follow up after the research project, this was an ideal opportunity presented to the WPPP Task Force to present the findings of the research to a larger audience at the Fifth International Malaysian Studies Conference held on 8-10 August, 2006 at the Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia. The subject of the research became a panel discussion where the panelists included some of the researchers and APWLD WPPP Task Force members.

The panel, chaired by Prof. Dr. Sharifah Zaleha Syed Hassan, the Advisor of SAMA, had three papers presented from the WPPP book: Seethings and Seatings: Strategies of Women's Political Participation in Asia-Pacific; Malaysia: Transformative Not Alternative; and The Kyrgyz Republic: Twice Beaten Thrice Energised by Rashila Ramli (WPPP Co-convenor) and Saliha Hassan (the Malaysian researcher). Featuring as an early morning panel out of a total of about 60 panels, it was well attended by participants and prompted lively discussions on the subject.

Since its inception in 1997, the primary objective of the biennial Malaysian Studies Conference has been to bring together scholars, both local and foreign, working on Malaysian issues, for the purpose of academic exchange and interaction. This conference series also aims to analyse issues and problems relating to contemporary Malaysia, and to compare the Malaysian experience with that of other nations, particularly the Asian nations. Another goal of the conference is to examine the state of Malaysian studies and to suggest ways for its advancement.

The theme of MSC5 was "After Development in Malaysia: Reflections on the Development Agenda and the Future" in line with what Malaysia has achieved since independence in 1957, whilst embarking on a massive programme of national economic development successively under five premierships and through a series of 5-year Malaysia Plans. The focus of MSC5 was on three interrelated key questions: what remains of the Malaysian development agenda; post-development issues and agendas; and the implications for development studies.

APWLD's WPPP Task Force thanks MSC5 for the opportunity given to highlight findings from the research and the special attention that the programme received at the conference. The Task Force also distributed copies of the book to the participants of the penal.