Table of Contents
Resisting hegemony: Islam and identity in the Mentega Terbang film
*Muhammad Raqib bin Mohd Sofian, Firly Annisa, Frizki Yulianti Nurnisya, Safiyyah Ahmad Sabri, Muhamad Zaki Mustafa, Mohd Yahya Mohd Ariffin
Abstract: This paper examines how the controversial Malaysian film Mentega Terbang constructs alternative representations of Islam and challenges dominant religious discourses within the Malaysian socio-cultural context. In Malaysia, Islam occupies a central position in public life, with state institutions playing an important role in regulating religious interpretation and discourse. Within this environment, Mentega Terbang generated significant public debate due to its engagement with sensitive religious themes. While discussions have largely focused on the controversy surrounding the film, limited scholarly attention has been given to how it constructs meaning through its narrative...
Abstract: This paper examines how the controversial Malaysian film Mentega Terbang constructs alternative representations of Islam and challenges dominant religious discourses within the Malaysian socio-cultural context. In Malaysia, Islam occupies a central position in public life, with state institutions playing an important role in regulating religious interpretation and discourse. Within this environment, Mentega Terbang generated significant public debate due to its engagement with sensitive religious themes. While discussions have largely focused on the controversy surrounding the film, limited scholarly attention has been given to how it constructs meaning through its narrative...
Constructing institutional visibility through university website communication: Evidence from Malaysian research universities
*Muhammad Zaiamri Zainal Abidin, Nursyamira Shaid, Amira Firdaus, Fadli Abdullah
Abstract: University websites operate as strategic communication infrastructures through which higher education institutions construct institutional visibility, communicate identity, and sustain relationships with diverse stakeholders. While prior scholarship has examined webometric indicators, usability performance, accessibility, and online ranking visibility, less attention has been given to how institutional visibility is communicatively produced through the interface architecture of university websites. This study examines the official websites of three Malaysian research universities, namely Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) using...
Abstract: University websites operate as strategic communication infrastructures through which higher education institutions construct institutional visibility, communicate identity, and sustain relationships with diverse stakeholders. While prior scholarship has examined webometric indicators, usability performance, accessibility, and online ranking visibility, less attention has been given to how institutional visibility is communicatively produced through the interface architecture of university websites. This study examines the official websites of three Malaysian research universities, namely Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) using...
Flipping the script: Code-switching as a digital advertising tool in Malaysia
Siti Hajar bt Ghazali, *Adlina binti Ariffin
Abstract: This study investigates the communicative functions of code-switching in Malaysian digital advertisements. Ten narrative-type code-switched commercials were selected based on: i) Malaysian product or service, ii) accessible on YouTube platform, and iii) 3-minute duration. Using Malik’s (1994) Ten Communicative Functions of Code-Switching as the framework, textual and discourse analysis were conducted to identify how code-switching fulfils persuasive and communicative purposes in digital marketing. The findings reveal that the most frequent function was to amplify and emphasise a point, followed by lack of facility, habitual expression, lack of registral competence, mood of...
Abstract: This study investigates the communicative functions of code-switching in Malaysian digital advertisements. Ten narrative-type code-switched commercials were selected based on: i) Malaysian product or service, ii) accessible on YouTube platform, and iii) 3-minute duration. Using Malik’s (1994) Ten Communicative Functions of Code-Switching as the framework, textual and discourse analysis were conducted to identify how code-switching fulfils persuasive and communicative purposes in digital marketing. The findings reveal that the most frequent function was to amplify and emphasise a point, followed by lack of facility, habitual expression, lack of registral competence, mood of...
Intercultural communication and conflict in the classroom: A case study of a Generation Z student leader in Indonesian Islamic higher education
*Afita Nur Hayati, Muhammad Nurfazri, Endang Martini, Endah Nur Latifah, Ramadiva Muhammad Akhyar, Tri Wahyuni, Dedi Sulaeman
Abstract: This qualitative phenomenological study investigates intercultural communication and conflict management within a collectivist higher education context at Sultan Aji Muhammad Idris State Islamic University, Samarinda. Anchored in Hofstede’s, Triandis’, and Thomas-Kilmann’s frameworks, the research examines students’ cultural orientations, female class representatives’ leadership negotiations, and classroom conflict dynamics. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews with three purposively selected participants and cultural orientation mapping of 33 students from the 2022 Islamic Communication and Broadcasting Program. Findings reveal that while...
Abstract: This qualitative phenomenological study investigates intercultural communication and conflict management within a collectivist higher education context at Sultan Aji Muhammad Idris State Islamic University, Samarinda. Anchored in Hofstede’s, Triandis’, and Thomas-Kilmann’s frameworks, the research examines students’ cultural orientations, female class representatives’ leadership negotiations, and classroom conflict dynamics. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews with three purposively selected participants and cultural orientation mapping of 33 students from the 2022 Islamic Communication and Broadcasting Program. Findings reveal that while...
Cultural symbol and national identity in the Hui cuisine: Analysing food documentaries through the circuit of culture
*Yang Yue, Noraien Mansor, Nur Haniz Mohd Nor
Abstract: Over the past decade, food documentaries have emerged as a notable form of media that investigates the complex relationships among food, tradition, culture, and national identity. Chinese cuisine, renowned for its diversity, reflects the country’s multi-ethnic composition, which includes minority groups such as the Hui, Uyghur, and Mongolian communities. The Hui people, one of the significant ethnic minorities in China, possess a rich culinary tradition deeply rooted in Islamic and halal practices. Their cuisine not only signifies their national identity but also serves as a potent cultural symbol. This research employed the Circuit of Culture to analyse the interplay between cultural...
Abstract: Over the past decade, food documentaries have emerged as a notable form of media that investigates the complex relationships among food, tradition, culture, and national identity. Chinese cuisine, renowned for its diversity, reflects the country’s multi-ethnic composition, which includes minority groups such as the Hui, Uyghur, and Mongolian communities. The Hui people, one of the significant ethnic minorities in China, possess a rich culinary tradition deeply rooted in Islamic and halal practices. Their cuisine not only signifies their national identity but also serves as a potent cultural symbol. This research employed the Circuit of Culture to analyse the interplay between cultural...
Malaysian digital cosmopolitanism in humanitarian aid to Aceh during the 2025 Sumatra Disaster
Muhammad Kamarullah, Surwandono
Abstract: The 2025 Sumatra disaster triggered a massive humanitarian response, including from Malaysia, that delivered various forms of humanitarian aid. This paper examines how Malaysia’s humanitarian organizations construct digital cosmopolitanism in providing aid to Aceh and how values and social relations underlying cross-border humanitarian solidarity are identified. Guided by the cosmopolitanism theory, particularly contextual cosmopolitanism and bottom-up cosmopolitanism, this research analyses how universal humanitarian values are negotiated through religious identity, cultural proximity, and digital participation. Adopting a qualitative descriptive approach, a digital...
Abstract: The 2025 Sumatra disaster triggered a massive humanitarian response, including from Malaysia, that delivered various forms of humanitarian aid. This paper examines how Malaysia’s humanitarian organizations construct digital cosmopolitanism in providing aid to Aceh and how values and social relations underlying cross-border humanitarian solidarity are identified. Guided by the cosmopolitanism theory, particularly contextual cosmopolitanism and bottom-up cosmopolitanism, this research analyses how universal humanitarian values are negotiated through religious identity, cultural proximity, and digital participation. Adopting a qualitative descriptive approach, a digital...
