From warrior queen to the fairest of the fair: Imaginations of Malaysian women in tourist brochures

• Main Authors: Abdul Razak, Norhanim, Ibrahim, Johan Afendi, Abd Shukor, Suryati
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: GV Recreation Leisure; HQ The family. Marriage. Woman
• Online Access: http://repo.uum.edu.my/13701/1/3.pdf; http://repo.uum.edu.my/13701/; http://ipdm.uum.edu.my
• Institution: Universiti Utara Malaysia

The aim of this paper is to analyse the portrayal of women in the Malaysian promotional brochures. The assessment focuses on how Malaysian women have been imagined in tourism brochures promoting two states, Sabah and Kelantan.The brochures promoting these two states published from 1969 to 2014 were examined using content analysis method. Among the key findings of this paper include the portrayal of the Kadazan Dusun women in Sabah as attractive and intimately connected to a local beauty pageant and the Malay women in Kelantan as brave, graceful and closely linked to a legendary warrior and traditional performing arts.Other depictions include women involvement in traditional music, dances, handicrafts, spiritual rites and as sellers in the local markets.From a holistic perspective, it is identified that women from different ethnic groups in Malaysia have been presented in tourism brochures over the years so as to promote ethnic and cultural tourism as their unique attributes can accentuate ethnic identities. In fact, the depiction of multi ethnic women has been exploited since the earliest brochure publication prior to the launched of the promotional campaign “Malaysia Truly Asia” which focuses on multiculturalism as its primary attraction.