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Article published In:
Journal of Language and Politics
Vol. 13:3 (2014) ► pp.453–472

Talking “race” through 1Malaysia in editorials

A critical discourse analysis

| University of Malaya |
| University of Malaya |

This study focuses on the discussion of 1Malaysia, Malaysia’s latest national blueprint for unity and identity, in the New Straits Times (NST), Malaysia’s oldest and state-owned English language print media. We examine the means by which NST has constructed the latest political venture in forging a national identity, while negotiating the various challenges to such an undertaking. Employing the critical discourse analysis (CDA) approach, we look at distinctive nomination and predication patterns as well as the occurrence of high and low factuality. This is conducted primarily through an analysis of social actors, their predication and modality to show how these contribute to the construction of the 1Malaysia ideology. Findings suggest that the signifier of 1Malaysia serves not only as a reference point for discussing subjects of concern to reformists, but also provides opportunities for the newspaper to hold institutions to account.

Keywords: 1Malaysia, national identity, ideology, critical discourse analysis, factuality, modality, referential strategies, predication
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Relevant history and demography
  • 3.Malaysian media and ownership
  • 4.Call for civil liberties and the 12th general elections
  • 5.Data, theory and method
  • 6.Findings and discussion
    • 6.11Malaysia and institutions
    • 6.21Malaysia and political leadership
  • 7.Conclusion
  • References
Published online: 22 December 2014
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.13.3.04var
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Varghese, Mary & Kamila Ghazali
2017. State contestations in constructions of 1Malaysia. Language Problems and Language Planning 41:1 ► pp. 46 ff. DOI logo

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