Communication strategies of a Malaysian politician in Tamil during the COVID-19 pandemic
The world in general was not prepared for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in December 2019, which caused massive deaths. Government officials were forced to impose drastic measures to curb the spread. The Ministry of Health relied on political leaders and government agencies to h...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
2022
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| Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/18569/1/48689-178190-1-PB.pdf http://journalarticle.ukm.my/18569/ https://ejournal.ukm.my/gema/issue/view/1467 |
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| Institution: | Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia |
| Language: | English |
| Summary: | The world in general was not prepared for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic
in December 2019, which caused massive deaths. Government officials were forced to impose
drastic measures to curb the spread. The Ministry of Health relied on political leaders and
government agencies to help disseminate as much health information and the government
policies efficiently and effectively. As these representatives or leaders belong to different
ethnicities, they are more likely to understand the life circumstances, needs, strengths, and
capabilities of multicultural and vulnerable communities, and would be the best people to
convey the needed information. Tamils are the third largest community in Malaysia and there
is not much research done on Tamil language and communication strategies during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this study aims to observe on how effectively Tamil language and
culture influences crisis communication. Effective communication and leadership are central
to the management of pandemics and to give the public assurance in order to alleviate their
fears and anxiety in having to adapt to the rapidly changing societal and economic landscape.
Based on the communication strategies recommended by Hyland-Wood et al (2021), the
current study focuses on how a Malaysian Indian politician, Saravanan responds, engages, and
communicates with his followers. Seventeen Facebook posts in Tamil on Saravanan’s page
were extracted and analysed qualitatively. The strategies utilized by Saravanan showed his
resolve and effectiveness in managing crisis. This study will be useful for political leaders,
community representatives, and medical practitioners in seeking equitable accessibility to
quality health care and well-being of the people. |
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