Abstract
The cognitive and affective appeal of metaphor exploits subconscious discernment that is aroused non-verbally and then developed through language. It is the subliminal potential of metaphor that reinforces the performance of leadership and this explains the frequent usage of such rhetorical tool in speeches by many politicians (Charteris-Black 2011: 2). This study examines metaphors in the speeches of the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia on the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). The cognitive metaphor framework by Lakoff and Johnson (1980) has been utilised in examining any emerging patterns from the PM’s speeches. The Metaphor Identification Procedure (MIP) as proposed by Pragglejazz Group (2007) has been adopted in the analysis of the data. The results from the analysis have shown several interesting conceptual metaphors underlying some of the metaphorical expressions in the speeches by the Prime Minister, including the ECONOMY IS A SPORT conceptual metaphor. Such findings have provided some insights into the way conceptual metaphors are used in political speeches as a way to evoke certain understanding of concepts related to the economy and also as a mechanism of persuasion.
Highlights
In September 2010, the Economic Transformation Programme was formulated and launched by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Sri Najib Razak, as part of Malaysia’s National Transformation Programme
The programme named six Strategic Reform Initiatives (SRIs) which will provide support and apposite urge for Malaysia to compete globally. This is an important catalyst in the roadmap of the creation of a business-friendly environment in Malaysia, which is anticipated to attract valuable foreign investment. It is with the execution of National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs) and SRIs that Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) aids in achieving Vision 2020
By describing the economy in terms of a sport, the Prime Minister (PM) appears to be focusing on the element of competitiveness, whereby those who are involved in it, i.e. businessmen, entrepreneurs, etc. will have a role to play, either as individuals or as a team to overcome their competitors and become successful in this domain, or in other words, win the game. This can be seen in example (i), where Malaysia is described as one entity who needs to have a fundamental role in the multitrillion dollar regional market
Summary
In September 2010, the Economic Transformation Programme was formulated and launched by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Sri Najib Razak, as part of Malaysia’s National Transformation Programme. The programme named six Strategic Reform Initiatives (SRIs) which will provide support and apposite urge for Malaysia to compete globally This is an important catalyst in the roadmap of the creation of a business-friendly environment in Malaysia, which is anticipated to attract valuable foreign investment. Studies on metaphors in political discourse have been conducted over the years to examine how politicians use metaphors as tools of persuasion in their speeches or public statements (Meadows 2007; Charteris-Black, 2005; Ferrari, 2007; Lu & Ahrens, 2008). Bratoz (2004) has examined the use of metaphors in English and Slovene popular economic discourse and found that there are similarities between the two languages in the way conceptual and linguistic metaphors are used to describe concepts related to the economy. This paper seeks to extend the analysis of Kumaran (2013) by examining twenty five ETP-related political speeches by the Prime Minister, to find other metaphorical conceptualisations on ETP that have been featured frequently in the political discourse
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