Good and Shadow Father: A CDA of Malaysian Newspaper’s Reception of PM Muhyiddin’s Abah Archetype

Abstract

The public persona of the 8th PM of Malaysia, Muhyiddin Yassin, was derived from the metaphorical framing of the Good Father archetype. Archetypes do not always lead to logical conclusions because issues are framed by focusing on specific aspects while avoiding those that are inconsistent with the metaphor. Metaphorical structures influence the way we perceive, think or act. Muhyiddin’s abah persona can be described as monolithic. It normalizes the conservative Malay value that upholds the patriarchal role while marginalizing other ethnic or religious representations and their cultural and parenting practices. Muhyiddin had exploited this privileged position so as to further the asymmetrical power relation. The Malaysian collective fantasy of a Good Father is not uniform and Muhyiddin’s abah was challenged by a Shadow Father counternarrative. This exploratory study is limited in achieving depth of understanding of gender roles representation but explores instead the strategic actors, namely Muhyiddin and his supporters, how they tried to build the image of a Good Abah, and how the narrative was negotiated and contested, as well as the ideologies that were promoted or reinforced by the father archetype. Findings include readers’ polarized views of good father, low-key misogyny, the traditional and stereotyped expectation of men.