A New Entrepreneur is a Premature Baby: A Critical Metaphor Analysis of Malaysian Supply Bills

Authors: Farrah Diebaa Rashid Ali (International Islamic University, Malaysia)
Speakers: Farrah Diebaa Rashid Ali
Strand: Language Ideologies
Session Type: General Session

Abstract

Malaysia, a thriving developing country is working hard to alleviate the country’s socio-economy performance. Realizing how local enterprises facilitate the country’s economic growth, the government introduces plans, policies, and incentives aim to aid entrepreneurs to remain viable and competitive in overcoming business challenges. This paper is interested in looking at the conceptualizations of these young or new entrepreneurs in the nine supply bills read by Najib Razak, the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia. This study was modelled upon Charteris-Black’s Critical Metaphor Analysis. It was discovered that the young and new entrepreneurs were conceptualized as pre-term or sick newborns (NEW ENTREPRENEUR IS PRE-TERM NEWBORN). The government, on the other hand, conceptualized itself as a doctor or more specifically a paediatrician (GOVERNMENT IS DOCTOR) whose knowledge and competence were highly sought after by young entrepreneurs to stay healthy and active in businesses. Through these metaphors, the people were reminded that their helpless selves needed saving from the heroic government. Therefore, the use of metaphors in the Supply Bills has served predicative, empathetic, ideological and mythical purposes.

Keywords: Critical Metaphor Analysis, Supply Bills, Entrepreneurs