Malaysian Muslim Research Articles

Ramadhan street food bazaar shopping: investigating the effect of Malaysian Muslim consumer’s visual sensory cues on purchase behaviour and satisfaction

PurposeThere is a paucity of knowledge on how visual sensory cues impact consumers’ purchase behaviour and their satisfaction, especially in Ramadhan street food bazaar context. This study aims to investigate the effect of Muslim consumer’s visual sensory cues on Ramadhan street food purchase behaviour and satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThis study surveyed 367 Malaysian Muslim consumers to depict their purchase behaviour and satisfaction based on visual sensory cues during their visit to the Ramadhan street food bazaar.FindingsThe findings show that visual sensory evaluations of texture and appearance influence Ramadhan street food bazaar customers’ purchase behaviour. Meanwhile, visual cues of texture and taste of the street bazaar food significantly influenced satisfaction.Practical implicationsThe result offers practice guidelines for small food operators to enhance their product placement and display to encourage consumer purchase behaviour. The findings highlight the importance of visual cues in foodservice businesses and how they affect consumers’ desire to consume Ramadhan street bazaar’s food products.Originality/valuePaying attention to food presentation would allow the sellers to obtain customers’ attention and purchase intention. Subsequently, it allows the Ramadhan street bazaar food sellers to be more competitive and effective in their business operation techniques and services, eventually impacting their survivability and sustainability.

MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT POLICY TO ERADICATE THE ISLAMIC HERETICAL SECTS

This article aims to examined policy of Malaysian Government to eradicate the Islamic heretical sects. The research method used in this research is qualitative research with normative legal study and oral history approach. The main data sources is fatwas issued by the Ulama Council in Malaysia. This research concluded 3 results, namely: first, the criteria for Islamic deviant sects used in Malaysia are sects that adhere to contradictory beliefs about the true teachings of Islam as outlined in Quran and Hadith. Second, the pattern of ijtihad fatwas issued by the Ulama Council in Malaysia based on the concepts of theology, sharia and morality in the school of ahl al-sunnah wa al-jamā'ah. Third, there are two kinds of policies by the Malaysian Government to tackle the spread of misleading religious teachings. Fisrt, preventive policies, such as designing educational curricula against heretical teachings and preparing a Friday sermon on the need for Malaysian Muslims to avoid heresy. Second, curative policies, namely building faith restoration centers in order to guide followers of heretical teachings who have repented so that they can live according to true Islamic tenets.

The viability of Islamic estate planning in Malaysian Muslim market: A bibliometric analysis indexed by Scopus from 2015 to 2021

The growing number of published articles indexed in a database such as Scopus suggests the increasing number of high-quality research and current interests that are relevant to a particular discourse. However, bibliometric studies identified that the pattern of journal articles published on Islamic estate planning in relation to Malaysian Muslim market in the Scopus database are still limited and given less attention. Therefore, this study seeks to identify the pattern of the published articles that have been indexed by Scopus specifically on Islamic estate planning instruments such as waqf, takaful, Islamic inheritance (farāid), gifts, trust, and will. This article is based on bibliometric analysis and focuses on all Islamic estate planning instruments in Islam. The data obtained from the Scopus database are then analysed thematically using ATLAS.ti 8 and VOSviewer software. The bibliometric analysis found 397 publications from Malaysia, which encompass articles, proceedings, book chapters, and book series. Nonetheless, there are only 324 relevant articles that had been analysed to establish the theme of the study. Meanwhile, the waqf instrument has become the most popular topic debated among researchers from Malaysia. All the articles are obtained from the Scopus database only by using keywords related to the instruments of Islamic estate planning. This study only focuses on Malaysian affiliates for 7 years, from 2015 to 2021. Therefore, more studies need to be done with any other indexing and high-quality research databases such as Web of Science (WoS) and related Islamic estate planning and marketing articles to achieve a better and more comprehensive analysis of research publications. In conclusion, this study provides a better information thematically through the frequency of publication by instruments, frequency of publication year, number of authors, language, publication format, list of journals, affiliation, and types of collaboration. This guideline is useful for researchers carrying out research on Islamic estate planning in the realm of Islamic marketing indexed in Scopus. In fact, the important result of this study will provide insightful bibliometric analysis and assist in identifying current interest in Islamic estate planning instruments with special reference to the Malaysian Muslim consumers' context.

Predicting intention to use QR code mobile payment among Malaysian Muslim millennials

Financial transactions in the digital age have shifted from traditional to digital systems. With the proliferation of smartphones and the internet, cashless payments via smartphone or mobile payment system are becoming more popular. Quick Response (QR) code mobile payment is one of the cashless payment options available today. Using the extended theory of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study investigates the intention of Malaysian Muslim millennials to opt for QR code mobile payment. The study was conducted as a cross-sectional study with a convenience sample. Data was collected through a questionnaire distributed via Google forms on various social media applications. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyse the data. The results showed that perceived usefulness, perceived risk, hedonic motivation, and performance expectancy have a significant influence on the intention of Malaysian Muslim millennials to use QR code mobile payment as a payment method. Perceived ease of use and social influence, on the other hand, were not predictors of intention to use QR code mobile payment. This study contributes to filling the gap in the literature on technology acceptance, digital payments, and consumer behaviour. At the same time, this study can serve as a basis for QR code developers and retailers to better understand and serve their customers, and for the government to integrate more QR code applications into many government-provided services.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF FACTORS IN HALAL BAKERY CUSTOMER LOYALTY

Preparing and serving halal and toyyib food is a responsibility shared by Malaysian vendors. It appears to be a growing awareness of the importance of ensuring the halal status of food consumed in Muslim society. Malaysian Muslim customer are increasingly concerned with the uncertain status of food products, especially those that prepared by non-Muslim vendors. Non-Muslim vendors may not understand the concept of halal and haram, thus this situation exposes consumers to foods containing syubhah (doubtful) or haram substances. Hence, Malaysia's halal authority and government have stressed the need for manufacturers and business owners to adopt halal certification (Mohd, 2019).

Motives for participation in halal food standard implementation: an empirical study in Malaysian halal food industry

Purpose This study aims to identify the factor that could be able to motivate the food industry to take part in the standardization process and analyse which motive is the most influential one. This study also examines the relationship between the motive and the implementation itself. Design/methodology/approach As one of Malaysian Standard, MS1500 is focused on halal food matters. This standard was established by the Malaysian Government to realize their dream of becoming the leader in the global halal market. However, there are still many food and beverage small and medium-sized entterprises owned by Indigenous Muslims in Malaysia who still take it for granted by claiming that their products are halal without ever signing up for the halal certificate or implementing MS1500. Findings The findings of this study can be used as an input for the Malaysian Government, so they will be able to plan any suitable programme that can promote the implementation of this standard. Practical implications The halal food industry has grown significantly around the world. By category of spending, the halal food and beverages industry holds the biggest share, with a value of about US$1,303bn in 2017 and is expected to reach US$1,863bn by 2023. These big opportunities have been captured by several countries in the world, including Malaysia. As a Moslem country, Malaysia aspires to be the halal hub and has aggressively worked towards becoming the key player in delivering halal food products. By understanding the motives behind the implementation of the halal standard by the food industry, we can develop strategies to expand the growth of the halal industry itself. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of its kind that has been conducted to explore the motives behind the implementation of halal food standards by the food industry, especially in Malaysia. From the review of the current literature, it is found that studies on halal food certification and halal logo mainly focused on the consumer side instead of the industry side. On top of that, it is also found that previous studies mostly adopted two notable theories, namely, theory of reasoned action and theory of planned behaviour. To elaborate on and use plenty of other theories in performing a halal standard research, the three isomorphism pressure from institutional theory of DiMaggio and Powell has been chosen as a pertinent theory in this study. As a result, the theoretical gap and the uneven scope of halal food standard and certification research, with particular attention on the industry or manufacturer side, are expected to be bridged. This theory is also used to identify the most dominant motive. Moreover, this study examined the relationship between the motive behind standardization and the standardization itself.

Cross‐national consumer research using structural topic modelling: Consumers' approach‐avoidance behaviours

AbstractThis study introduces structural topic modelling (STM), a sophisticated unsupervised machine‐learning algorithm for text analysis, to compare Indonesian and Malaysian Muslim consumers' approach‐avoidance behaviours toward Korean beauty products using social media data. The STM results revealed 16 topics for each country, including new common themes belonging to K‐beauty culture and wannabe Korean skin. Intriguing differences were also observed between these countries. Korea‐related constructs, such as Korea's image and wannabe Korean skin, were approach factors for only Indonesians. Korean cosmetic brand‐specific topics were extracted for only Malaysians and were significantly associated with their behavioural responses. Unsuitable Korean beauty products and domestic product preferences were avoidance factors for Indonesians, but new product risks and conflicts between Muslim and Korean cultures for Malaysians. We demonstrate that STM is a helpful tool in cross‐national research for corroborating and extending the existing theoretical frameworks. The practical implications are also provided for global marketers.

Food purchasing practices of state exemplary family award recipients

Halal awareness among Muslims in Malaysia is one of the main reasons for the increase in halal food production in Malaysia. Most Muslims in Malaysia are aware of purchasing and consuming food products of their choice. Thus, this study aimed to analyse the food purchasing practices implemented among State Exemplary Family Award recipients. This study used a qualitative approach with a grounded theory design. Two data collection methods were used in this study including documentation and interview study. The documentation study reviewed verses from al-Qur’an, tafsir books, hadiths, journals, and previous studies related to this study. The interview study was conducted through Focus Group Discussion (FGD) to collect data from nine families of the selected respondents. The data obtained from the interview study were analysed by using Non-numerical Unstructured Data Indexing Searching and Theorizing (NUD.IST) software, also known as QSR NVivo software version 7. A total of six themes were successfully developed in analysing the food purchasing practices among State Exemplary Family Award recipients and portrayed in a model known as Food Purchasing Practices of Exemplary Family (FPPEF). The model describes the purchasing behaviour of AKM recipients to purchase halal food products. Therefore, this study also contributes to developing a guideline for purchasing food products that Muslim families can practice.

Governance Structures: Dependability And Efficiency Of The Waqf Institutional System In Malaysia

Waqf lands have the potential to bring in billions of dollars in income for Muslim communities provided that they are successfully developed and managed. In the past, there was no established legal framework for the management of waqf in Malaysia. As a result, waqf land and assets were managed in an inefficient and disorganized manner. The State Islamic Religious Council (SIRC) in Malaysia oversees the waqf administration and is responsible for the legislation in Malaysia that is related to waqf. The SIRC in its role as the sole trustee is in charge of overseeing all aspects of waqf matters. It was made more difficult in Malaysia because there are 13 states and federal territories and each of them has its waqf regulation and as a result, there are different challenges. In addition, the law and enactment of waqf in each state are uniquely distinct from the legislation and enactment in the other states correspondingly. The disparities in size, the varying numbers of waqf properties, and other aspects are the core of these problems. If these Waqf properties were efficiently handled, it would be the ideal solution to the challenge of increasing the social and economic position of the Muslim community. Unfortunately, the waqf institutions in Malaysia do not seem to be capable of playing a proactive role in promoting the economic growth and overall development of Muslims in Malaysia. The purpose of this study is to better understand the challenges in governance, especially in the administration, management, and development of waqf in Malaysia

Islam, Western Materialism and Malaysian Muslims’ Complex Debt Behavior: An Analysis of the Religious Experts’ Viewpoints

Malaysian Muslims household debt level has been persistently increasing despite its overwhelming negative effects. This paper attempts to explain the influence of two dominant conflicting ideologies namely Islam and western materialism on Muslims debt behavior. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with six religious experts including two state muftis from Malaysia. Three out of five hypotheses are supported and five other vital issues have emerged. The findings show Muslims debt behavior turns complex when facing the conflict between religious values and materialistic objectives with materialism supersedes Islamic religiosity. Islamic banking and finance (IBF) successfully dilute the conflicts by offering debt-based Syariah-compliant financing that can fulfil both material aspirations and religious consciousness. Certain traditional Islamic principles are compromised with religious experts taking soft stance concerning their applications. Ambiguities, inconsistencies, misleading information, hasty interpretation of riba’, unrealistic aspirations and unconditional support for IBF are other pressing issues emerged from the interviews. Despite the Muslims’ increasing interest in Islam, there is clear lack of concrete guidance on the matter of debt as far as religious experts’ views are concerned. This paper has important implications for understanding in depth the underlying reasons behind Malaysian Muslims’ complex debt behavior reflected by their growing indebtedness. For future research, a survey among ordinary Muslims should be carried out in order to have a broader understanding of Muslims’ actual debt behavior.

SOCIAL CAPITALS AMONG KELANTAN PERANAKAN CHINESE MUSLIMS IN MALAYSIA

Background and Purpose: Typically, Chinese Muslims have relationship conflict with their non-Muslim family (bonding social capital) and Malay community (bridging social capitals) after converting to Islam. The conflict will affect their social capital. The main aim of this study was to identify the bonding and bridging social capitals among Kelantan Peranakan Chinese Muslim community in Kelantan, Malaysia in the aspects of trust, reciprocity, and cohesion.
 
 Methodology: This descriptive study was conducted utilising the sequential explanatory mixed method approaches, involving Chinese Muslims in the Kelantan state. A total of 75 respondents participated in the quantitative study, and five of them involved in the qualitative study. The methods used for sampling were the purposive sampling and snowball sampling. The quantitative data were collected through a survey questionnaire, while the qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews.
 
 Findings: The findings revealed that the reciprocal and cohesive elements mostly occurred with bridging social capital only. As for the trust aspect, the respondents indicated that they believe in bonding and bridging social capitals only on occasional basis. It was also found that the relationship conflict existed among Chinese Muslim after conversion with their family members who are not converted to Islam and also with the Malay community.
 
 Contributions: This study contributes significantly to the body of knowledge due to lack of recent publications that explain the relationship in the social capital aspect, which is a very essential aspect to change the community, as a means of achieving the community development.
 
 Keywords: Social capital, bonding social capital, bridging social capital, religious conversion, Chinese Muslim.
 
 Cite as: Adi Syahid, M. A. (2023). Social capitals among Kelantan Peranakan Chinese Muslims in Malaysia. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 8(1), 357-383. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol8iss1pp357-383

A Conceptual Framework of Cash Waqf Awareness in Malaysia Using Theory of Planned Behavior

The important function of Cash Waqf is to achieve the economic balance of a nation which aim to alleviate poverty and promote socioeconomic development. The improvement in cash waqf awareness as a charitable endowment fund among Muslims would benefit designated beneficiaries such as the donors, family institutions and other individuals. In term of research methodology, the researchers discussed the empirical support of various literature which recognize the use of Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). A conceptual framework which adopts three original constructs comprising of attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavior control in predicting intention towards cash waqf awareness are suggested. The findings of this study is expected to add to the body of knowledge on the guidelines regarding how cash waqf awareness could be promoted among Muslims in Malaysia. Essentially this effort is expected to empower cash waqf for ummah development and serve as a strong economic instrument in stabilising economic wellbeing among Muslim.

Malaysian Halal Certification: A Study of Compliance Behavior of Muslim Entrepreneurs

The halal industry in Malaysia plays a very significant role in its economic growth. It contributed about 8.1% to Malaysia’s GDP in 2020. Notwithstanding that, the applications of and compliance with halal certification among Muslim entrepreneurs remains significantly low. Ironically, Muslim entrepreneurs stand to suffer losses of up to 60% due to the absence of the halal logo on their products resulting from their low halal compliance behavior. This study proposes to identify factors affecting the compliance behavior among Muslim entrepreneurs in relation to the Malaysian halal certification. Data were collected through personally administered questionnaires that were distributed to 400 selected Muslim entrepreneurs in Malaysia. Research samples were chosen using random sampling techniques from the list provided by Small and Medium Enterprise Corporation Malaysia (SME Corp). This study used the structural equation model (PLS-SEM) analysis to process the effects of independent and mediator variables on the compliance behavior of the Muslim entrepreneurs. Result shows that there is a positive and significant effect of attitude, social influence, and awareness on the behavioral intention to comply with the Malaysian halal certification. Mediating factors of attitude and awareness show positive and significant relationships between social influences and the intention to comply with halal certification. Finally, intention also has a significant and positive effect on the compliance behavior of Malaysian Muslim entrepreneurs on halal certification. Research outcomes highlight the importance of local authorities and policymakers enhancing their strategies to ensure more Muslim entrepreneurs comply with the Malaysian halal certification. This study hopes to contribute to existing scholarship particularly on the compliance behavior of halal certification among Muslim entrepreneurs.

Malaysian Muslim consumers’ awareness, confidence, and purchase behaviour on halal meat and its products after the meat cartel scandal

Many issues of halal food fraud involved the misuse of halal logo and certificate, mislabeling of products, and adulteration of halal products with non-halal ingredients. The sensitivity concern pertaining to halal meat and its products, particularly regarding the incident of the meat cartel scandal that happened in Malaysia had impacted consumers’ trust and confidence, particularly among the Muslim communities. This research aimed to assess the degree of confidence and purchase behaviour among Muslim consumers on halal meat and its products following the issue of the imported meat cartel scandal. The extent of consumer awareness of the issue was also asked. The survey was performed among 1,045 Muslim consumers via a structured questionnaire to measure their awareness, confidence and purchase behaviour on halal meat and its products. The results highlighted that the issue had affected the Muslim consumers’ perception of their confidence and purchasing behaviour majorly on imported meat and meat products. In addition, the confidence and purchasing trend of consumers has also reduced towards meat products other than the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) certified halal logo. Overall, the concern on the issue has impacted Muslim consumers’ behaviours towards halal meat and its products which demanded more serious attention and action to assure the halal integrity of the products.

Falsafah Liberalisme di Malaysia: Satu Sorotan Awal Liberalism Philosophy in Malaysia: A Preliminary Highlights

This article focuses on the evolution and development of liberalism especially in Malaysia since being brought by western colonizers till form social movements in Malaysia preliminary. The philosophy of liberalism in Malaysia is not a newly thought issue, but one that has existed among Malaysian Muslim community for a long time. Throughout the history, the liberalism ideology has evolved among the people of Malaysia since it was first brought in, it is known as liberal Islamic movements. In the modern times, Liberalism's advocates have increasingly and rapidly embraced the ideology of liberalism, especially through the liberal Islamic movement and in the name of human rights. Although liberalism has been part of the society in the areas of life such as economy, politics, culture, law and administration in Malaysia, the development and dissemination of the liberalism ideology can lead to a threat in ‘aqidah (faith) especially among Muslims today in Malaysia.

Falsafah Liberalisme di Malaysia: Satu Sorotan Awal Liberalism Philosophy in Malaysia: A Preliminary Highlights

This article focuses on the evolution and development of liberalism especially in Malaysia since being brought by western colonizers till form social movements in Malaysia preliminary. The philosophy of liberalism in Malaysia is not a newly thought issue, but one that has existed among Malaysian Muslim community for a long time. Throughout the history, the liberalism ideology has evolved among the people of Malaysia since it was first brought in, it is known as liberal Islamic movements. In the modern times, Liberalism's advocates have increasingly and rapidly embraced the ideology of liberalism, especially through the liberal Islamic movement and in the name of human rights. Although liberalism has been part of the society in the areas of life such as economy, politics, culture, law and administration in Malaysia, the development and dissemination of the liberalism ideology can lead to a threat in ‘aqidah (faith) especially among Muslims today in Malaysia.

Malezya ve Türkiye’de Devlet Üniversitelerinde Yüksek Din Öğretimi: Karşılaştırmalı Bir Çalışma

Higher religious education institutions, like other fields, operate within the universities today. While countries establish and develop their own institutions according to their history, society and state, the experience and knowledge of similar institutions in other countries is vital for the development of the universities. Comparative studies can make significant contributions in this regard. Therefore, this article aims to compare higher religious education at public universities in Malaysia and Turkey in terms of six themes: history, current situation, aims, programme structure, student admission and graduate employability. Malaysia and Turkey represent two strikingly different countries in terms of the state’s relationship with religion and the religious composition of society even though they both have a Muslim majority population. This is a qualitative, literature-based study which employs document analysis. Official documents, academic articles and internet sources are used as references to examine and present information about higher religious education in both countries. The findings of the article are as follows: The development of higher religious education in Turkey has been intermittent and is closely related to the politics of religion, as the major political changes have had an impact on higher religious education. In contrast, the development of higher religious education has been steadier in Malaysia. Even though the politics of religion and electoral calculations of political parties have influenced higher Islamic education in Malaysia, this has not at least resulted in their closures or dramatic decreases in their numbers. Currently, higher religious education is thriving in both countries, but more rapidly (at least quantitively) in Turkey than in Malaysia. Regarding the aims of higher religious education, there are direct references to Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama‘ah and raising practising Muslims in Malaysia, where the aims and programme outcomes are determined by a national agency. Historically, the official mission statements of theology faculties in Turkey were more inclined towards modern aims/concepts, partly to legitimise the place of theology in a secular university. However, in recent years, there has been a tendency towards overtly Islamic values and concepts. However, due to the lack of a national agency which defines the aims of theology/Islamic sciences faculties, the official mission and vision statements seem patchy and vague, but the accreditation process might lead to more common and unified aims and programme outcomes. In Turkey, higher religious education officially does not adopt any branch of Islam, as opposed to Malaysia, which might be an opportunity for becoming more accommodative and integrative in a modern society which is marked by plurality and diversity. There are different higher religious education programmes in Malaysia, which has sought to integrate Islamic knowledge with professional one. This has resulted in the introduction of multi and cross-disciplinary programmes and specializations. The graduates of these programmes, in turn, can work in very different professions from security to finance and from judiciary to religious services. Multi and cross-disciplinary programmes are currently unavailable in Turkey, as higher religious education faculties only offer a single programme. Another important difference between the two countries is the process of student admission. While there are different post-secondary education/examination systems in Malaysia, in Turkey there is a national university entrance exam. Despite the different examination systems, in Malaysia students need to have a solid background in Islamic education, Arabic and English in order to enrol on Islamic Studies programmes; whereas in Turkey there are just few questions regarding religious education in the university entrance exam; therefore, no background in religious education, Arabic or English is necessary. Even though this can provide an opportunity for those who do not have any Islamic education background, there are problems that theology/Islamic sciences faculties have to start from the basics, such as teaching how to read the Qur’an. Finally, in both countries the employability of higher religious education graduates seems one of the most pressing issues, but this issue is more prevalent in Turkey than in Malaysia.

The relationship between religiosity and meaningful work among Malaysian Muslim employees: The mediating role of existential labor.

This study aimed to explore how religiosity affects the level of meaningful work among Malaysian Muslims, owing to Malaysia's highly religious background. Although religiosity constitutes a major part of an individual's value system, the influence of religiosity on the meaningfulness of work remains unclear. To address this gap, this study examined the indirect effects of the two types of religiosity-intrinsic religiosity (IR) and extrinsic religiosity (ER)-on meaningful work through existential labor, namely, surface acting and deep acting. Self-reported survey responses from 303 Malaysian Muslim employees were analyzed using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping analysis. The results showed that both surface acting and deep acting had significant mediation effects on the relationship between IR and meaningful work. By contrast, in the relationship between ER and meaningful work, surface acting's mediation effect was not significant, whereas deep acting showed a positive mediation effect. Our findings suggest that even if employees share the same religion, meaningful work is shaped differently by the specific type of religiosity and those existential labor strategies that individuals develop. This study advances the understanding of the underlying psychological mechanisms of the impact of individual religious values in the workplace. Implications and limitations were discussed.

DISTINCTIVE COLLECTIVIST IDENTITY ON DIGITAL ADS: HARI RAYA AND LEBARAN 2021

Every family has a particular moment, especially in Malaysia and Indonesia, where the majority of the population is Muslim, where Eid al-Fitr has established a tradition for bringing family members closer together. Simply said, the tradition is known as "Hari Raya” whereas, in Indonesia, the term "Lebaran" is used. The year 2021 will be remembered for the social restraints put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This study aims to capture this once-a-year event, which will then be interpreted using Oswald's Marketing Semiotics strategy to juxtapose the two digital advertising media on the Youtube Channel for cellular operator brands in each country in the Interpretivism Paradigm using a qualitative approach based on Hofstede's Cultural Dimension Theory. The Hari Raya 2021 Maxis advertisement symbolizes the State of Malaysia, while the 2021 Lebaran advertisement from the Indosat Ooredoo Provider represents the State of Indonesia, both of which are displayed in binary opposition. The study's findings reveal a consistent pattern in promoting the country's collectivist identity, with marketing distinctiveness arising from a variety of key components. The dominant color is green, which has a characteristic Malaysian Muslim nuance in its advertising storyline with the theme "Raya Si Sakan," which represents the Malaysian Cultural Dimension of Short-Term Orientation and Masculinity. In contrast to the majority of the color yellow, the title "Bulan yang Baik," reflects the warmth of friendship in terms of the identical dimensions of Indonesian culture, which tends towards long-term orientation and femininity in terms of the majority of the color yellow.

Former Muslims’ Socio-Religious Discourse on Social Media: A Speech Acts Analysis

This study aims to provide insights into the speech acts in socio-religious discourse constructed by former Malaysian Muslims on social media. This study employs a blended analytical lens consisting of Searle’s (1999) taxonomy of speech acts and van Dijk’s (1992) perspective of micro and macro speech acts. The analysis reveals that all five conventional speech act categories are represented in the discourse. But these categories do not provide insights into the real performances in the construction of discourse unless they are combined with analysis of actual performances at utterance level and at discourse level. Using blended speech act analysis, this study provides deeper insights into how and what former Muslims accomplish through their use of language while constructing anti-religious discourse on social media. The analysis revealed that from van Dijk’s (1992) perspective of speech acts, at the utterance level; argument is the most used micro-speech act followed by denial, persuasion, suggestion, rejection, warning, and assertion. At the discourse level; argument is also the most common macro-speech act followed by rejection, denial, warning, assertion, persuasion, information, and direction. This study concludes that the social media affordances enabled the former Muslims living in Islamic countries to perform speech acts and construct derogatory discourse on Islam. Further the strategic speech acts identified demonstrate former Muslims’ tendency, capacity and intention of challenging religious, especially Islamic, authoritative discourse. Keywords: social media; ex-Muslims; micro-speech acts; macro-speech acts; discourse