Power and politeness in Malay business discourse

Abstract

The Malaysian government recently stressed the need for civil servants, particularly those who represent the nation at the international level, to enhance their negotiation skills when interacting in English. The present study, initiated based on this call, looks at language use of Malays in the discourse of business negotiation and examines it from the perspective of power and politeness, and their effects on the process and outcomes of negotiation. It also examines how the Malay culture is displayed in the interactions so as to gain insights into how culture may influence negotiation outcomes. This cultural component is undertaken in line with the country's Vision 2020 where it is desirable that Malaysia should not be developed only in the economic sense but also be fully developed culturally. In keeping with the progress of the world therefore Malaysians must "remain uniquely Malaysian". The vision acknowledges that "modernization is not Westernization, Japanisation, Easternisation or Asianisation" but that it has to be especially Malaysian. The study thus draws implications for language use and the place of Malay culture in international negotiation and cross-cultural communication.