Malaysian mainstream newspapers' coverage of the Suqiu episode in the context of ethnic politics

Abstract

The reform movements in 1998 - which spawned from protest rallies by supporters of Malaysian former deputy prime Anwar Ibrahim - gave rise to optimism by Malaysian observers to herald the arrival of the new politics in Malaysia, departing from the ethnic politics that was once a common feature of Malaysian politics since Independence. This thesis argues that ethnic politics is still very much alive in Malaysia and more relevant than ever in the wake of the perceived split in the Malay community. Against this political backdrop, this thesis aims to understand the influence of ethnic politics in shaping media coverage of national issues, using the Suqiu episode as a contemporary case study. This study takes on a qualitative approach, examining the framing of this episode based on ethnic politics by mainstream newspapers in Malaysia.