Examining The Portrayal of Chinese Characters in Malaysian Contemporary Films Using Textual Analysis: Two Case Studies

Asian Journal of Arts, Culture and Tourism
e-ISSN: 2710-5830 | Vol. 2, No. 2, 19-32, 2020

http://myjms.moe.gov.my/index.php/ajact
Examining the Portrayal of Chinese Characters in Malaysian

Contemporary Films Using Textual Analysis: Two Case Studies
Beh Kay Hieng1, Siew Pei Hwa1*, Beh Chun Chee1
1
Faculty of Creative Industries, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Sungai Long, Malaysia
*Corresponding Author: siewph@utar.edu.my
Accepted: 1 June 2020 | Published: 15 June 2020

________________________________________________________________________________________
Abstract: This research has undertaken a qualitative research using textual analysis to
uncover text from the two selected films, i.e. “29 Februari” and “Ola Bola”. A seven-stage
textual analysis analytical framework that was adapted from a generic analytical framework
for critical discourse analysis (CDA) by Mullet (2018) was developed to analyse the two
selected films. Focus was given on the language used on-screen by Chinese characters and
also the roles they were assigned to in the plots. Through this research, it was clear that both
films approached Malaysia’s multiracialism by putting the spotlight on Chinese characters.
The visibility of Chinese characters in both films, to a certain extent, do remind the audience
that Malaysia is a nation with diverse racial background and the Chinese community, as the
second largest ethnic group in the country, has its role to play in nation building.
Keywords: Malaysian contemporary films, Chinese characters, textual analysis

___________________________________________________________________________
1. Introduction
Films are seen to be a “vehicle of social commentary, analysis and criticism” (Steinberg,
2009). Examining the message disseminated through Malaysian films can provide us an idea
of where we stand as a nation on issues of national unity and integration. Ciecko (2006) noted
that “cinematic reflexive narrative moments where characters actually see themselves on
screen can offer an insight into the ways films function culturally or at least the ways movies
imagine they do” (p. 1). Ciecko added that, a film acts as a two-way mirror between the
audience and characters on screen. What we watch on film can explain how we see ourselves
as parts of the society. Our mannerisms and actions may be reflected by the portrayal of
characters on screen who are essentially, carrying our beliefs and thoughts on screen.
According to Department of Statistics Malaysia (2018), the Chinese community comprises 23

per cent of the total 32 million population of Malaysia. On that note, close to a quarter of
Malaysians are of Chinese ethnicity and is deemed to be one of the larger ethic groups in the
nation as compared to the dominant Bumiputera ethic group which is 69.1 per cent of total
population of citizens. Former Malaysia Chinese Association president Tan Koon Swan
(FMT reporters, 2016) noted that based on economic analysis, the Chinese community is
believed to contribute about 70 per cent of the nation’s gross domestic product. Hence, it is
crucial to examine the portrayal of Chinese characters in film in order to understand where
the community stand in the society.
The portrayal of Chinese characters would shed light on how filmmakers perceive the
community and also their own take of what it means to be a Malaysian Chinese in this nation.
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The portrayal of Chinese characters in contemporary Malaysian films also allowed us to

understand the role Chinese community play in the Malaysian society based on their
portrayal in films. This research should not be viewed as racist or skewed to favour a
particular race but as to acknowledge different racial backgrounds found on Malaysian films
and what they bring to the film in terms of portrayal and context.
The remainder of this paper is structured as follows. Section 2 discusses the homogeneity of
Malaysian films, followed by section 3 describes the research methodology. Section 4
presents the research findings, while Section 5 discusses the research findings and concludes
the paper.
2. The Homogeneity of Malaysian Films
Malaysian films are historically homogenous in its portrayal of race, typically centring on a
single race group. The Malaysian film industry is widely criticised to churn out films that
take on a homogenous, simplistic and shallow view of society. Films directed by P. Ramlee
from the 1950s to the 1970s is argued to generally attract an ethnically diverse audience,
despite most of them featuring a typically Malay-centric cast with the exception of the 1968
film “Gerimis”, which featured an Indian female lead. Most of the Malay films featuring
Malay actors and Malay language during that period were used to showcase local customs
and people while doing little to promote a nationalist message (Barnard, 2009). Although
historically, the racial riots in May 1969 forced national unity to be top priority in nation
building, and broadcasting touted to be the nation’s unification agent (McDaniel, 1994), the
Malaysian film industry continued to produce film according to its racial audiences and
segregation. Blockbuster films in the 1990s by Malay film makers such as Yusuf Haslam’s
1996 film “Maria Mariana I” and 1998 sequel “Maria Mariana II” featured an all Malays
cast.
Fast forward to the present, many Malaysian films still follow a homogenous take on local
film production featuring an all Malay cast. Van der Heide (2002 as cited in Ciecko, 2006)
argued that heterogeneity in Malaysian films were directed at a single ethnic community,
namely the Malays. Hence, representation of the Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, and Iban; four
other major racial groups in “Malay films” are usually very low. For example, 2018’s “Hantu
Kak Limah 3” featured an exclusively Malay cast and characters despite being produced by
Infinitus Entertainment; a Malaysian-based film production house founded by Hong Kong
actor Andy Lau, and Malaysian Datuk Seri Robin Tan (“Andy Lau in high spirits”, 2018);
both of whom are of Chinese descent. The horror comedy, also known as the third movie of
the “Hantu Kak Limah” trilogy follows the misadventures of its titular character Kak Limah
as her sudden death caused chaos among the people close to her.
In addition, the second highest grossing Malaysian film was 2017’s “Abang Long Fadil 2”
which managed to achieve over RM18 million in ticket sales (National Film Development
Corporation Malaysian, 2018), also featured a homogenous cast and characters of Malays
with little or no screen time of characters of other Malaysian races. The 2017 action-comedy
film that revolved around the missteps of its titular character Fadil as he manoeuvred through
the local crime network. The aforementioned two films suggests the idea that the Malay
audience who represent the majority of Malaysian movie-goers are receptive towards films
catering to their racial profile.
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Teck Tan’s 2000 film “Spinning Gasing” is well regarded millennial Malaysian film, which
is a departure from the traditional homogeneous cast by featuring main actors of different
races and speaking in Manglish, a Malaysian speaking style of English which includes the
nuances of local dialects (Van der Heide, 2002 as cited in Ciecko, 2006). While the film was
not a box-office success, it was argued to be the “most ethnically diverse film” at that point of
time (Van der Heide, 2002 as cited in Ciecko, 2006).
The lack of visibility of Chinese characters in Malaysian films highlights two salient
approach of past film-makers that: 1) Chinese characters are token characters which do not
impact the film’s plot, and 2) are based on preconceived notions with little effort to further
develop the character. This research aims to shed light and bring new understanding on the
evolution of Malaysian cinema towards a collective representation in film as opposed to a
homogeneous product that caters to a single racial audience. Khan (1997 as cited in Khoo,
2006) affirmed that sensitive issues such as race and religion, when examined in a positive
manner through films, can contribute to national solidarity and integrity. While the presence
of a “collective” and “diverse” cast in a film will help with showcasing Malaysia as a
multiracial nation, representation of its characters in the film should be “fiercely realistic” of
the current status quo and not based on assumptions of stereotype and bias which could lead
to the generalisation of what other races is assumed to be.
3. Research Methodology
Research Method
The present research aims to examine the way Chinese characters are portrayed in
contemporary Malaysian films using a qualitative textual analysis. Through textual analysis,
the two samples of films that feature multiracial characters (as discussed in Research Samples
section) were analysed in accordance to the following research question (RQ1) using
qualitative textual analysis:
RQ1: How are Chinese characters portrayed in the two contemporary Malaysian
films?
According to Van Dijk (1991 as cited in Flener, 2008, p. 13), textual analysis emerged
between the mid-1960s and mid-1970s. This is supported by Bainbridge (2008) who noted
that “textual analysis comes out of the work of theorists known as the French structuralists in
the 1960s—particularly the work of Roland Barthes (1915-80)” (p. 224). Bainbridge added
that textual analysis is one of the primary tools media researchers use to understand how
meaning is made from media texts.
McKee also highlighted that textual analysis is useful for researchers working in cultural
studies, media studies, in mass communication, and in sociology philosophy. According to
McKee, the qualitative textual analysis is used to interpret texts (films, television
programmes, magazines, advertisements, clothes, graffiti, and so on) to gather information
and details of “sense-making practices” to understand particular cultures at particular times
within a nation. Bainbridge (2008) also indicated that textual analysis is a toolkit for
examining the media, applicable to very simple media forms (such as advertisements), up to
more complex forms such as news narratives, television series and films.
Smith (2017 as cited in Matthes, Davis & Potter, 2017) stated that textual analysis often uses
various theoretical approach that allows for findings to have different interpretations. Smith
also claimed that the focus on textual analysis shifts from being an easily replicated research
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to a research that allows for the meaning behind the text to be “revealed and experienced,
with an emphasis on sense-making, description, and detail” (p. 3). Textual analysis often pays
close attention to the text of the film in which Ayub et al. (2016) explained as a metaphorical
plan used to construct a film. The quality of the plan, will determine the outcome of the film.
Its abstract nature is deconstructed when text is translated into an audio and visual sensory
trigger by the credibility and credibility of the director through shots, camera angles and
technicality (Nursyazrin, 2012 as cited in Ayub et al., 2016).
The use of textual analysis in the context of this research dissects the nuances and behaviours
of characters in the two selected films that do not necessarily have a mathematical equation
behind them.
Research Instruments
The main research instrument in the research are the two selected contemporary films, which
are “29 Februari” and “Ola Bola”. In addition, the coding sheet that was used to decode the
text of the two selected films. The coding sheet was developed based the research question
and the themes identified.
Research Samples
The samples of films must feature Chinese and non-Chinese actors, must have plots or
screenplays set in Malaysia, and contain at least Malay-Chinese languages background. Also,
only Malaysian films produced between 2010 and 2016 were selected as samples. Table 1
depicts the two selected films that served as samples for the present research.
Table 1: Two samples of films in the research

Film Title Director Year Theme Chinese Non-Chinese Languages
Released Characters Characters
29 Edry 2012 Love and - Lily Ho - Budi - Malay
Februari Abdul romance - Julie Ho - Razak - Cantonese
Halim (Lily’s sister) - Arif
- Bob Ho - Budi’s father
(Lily’s father) - Budi’s mother
- Lily’s mother - Indian owner of
- Alex a coffee shop
- Encik Salam
- Khalid
Ola Bola Chiu 2016 Unity and - Chow Kwok - Ahmad Ali - Malay
Keng interracial Keong - Muthu Kumar - Cantonese
Guan relationships - Marianne Tan - Mohamad Abu - Mandarin
- Chow Mei - Rahman - Hokkien
Ling - Harry Mountain - Tamil
- Eric Yong - Sanjeet Singh - English
- Tan Siew Lee - Muthu Kumar’s
- Ong Tiam Chai father
- Security Uncle - Muthu Kumar’s
younger brother
“29 Februari” and “Ola Bola” are two contemporary Malaysian films that have been
selected for a couple different reasons.
Both “29 Februari” and “Ola Bola” portray the multiracialism concept, which feature
multiracial characters (see Figure 1) including main characters of Malay and Chinese that
interact among each other throughout the films.
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Scenes from “29 Februari”
Scenes from “Ola Bola”
Figure 1: Sample scenes from “29 Februari” and “Ola Bola” embracing racial diversity of Malaysian
Besides, the language background of these two selected films took into account not just the
Malay language, but also the Mandarin or dialects of the Chinese language (e.g. Cantonese,
Hokkien, etc.).
Apart from that, both films were set across long time period with “29 Februari” spanning
from the late 19th century to 2012 while “Ola Bola” spans across 1970s to 2016. Debrieux
(2014) stated that the understanding of the depiction of characters of colours and various
ethnic groups in films may shed some light in assessing “society’s attitude towards the issue
of race, as they give insights into the societal sentiment and social power-structure of the
times” (p. 31). The change of times suggests Chinese characters are portrayed differently
across the film’s timeline and in accordance to the norms of the moment.
Data Collection Procedure

There were some stages in analysing the data (films) as follows:
i. Watching the movie five times in this case in order to thoroughly identify the
multiracial theme portrayed in the movie in order to answer the research questions.
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The first viewing is a basic viewing where the selected films were viewed as an
ordinary audience. The second viewing onwards gathered and noted down all the
scenes, shots, characters, and dialogues in the films under themes such as
multiracialism, and interracial relationships where characters assigned with
stereotypical representations and inversion of stereotypes to create a character’s
positive imagery. Drawing on the work of McKee (2003 as cited in Painter &
Ferrucci, 2017), themes emerged during initial viewings were taken note of and
further viewings were done to explore emerging themes. The authors tried to make
meaning of the shots, composition, mise-en-scene, music, dialogues and each main
casts’ establishment in the film.
ii. The authors paid much attention in the characters, particularly Chinese characters
in both selected films. The authors identified the Chinese characters, and their
interaction with other races throughout the films.
iii. After finding and classifying all the data (text) in films, the authors concluded it as
data of the research for further analysis based on research questions.
To increase the validity, drawing on the study of Painter and Ferruci (2017), the authors
examined themes after analysing 25 per cent, 50 per cent and 100 per cent of the samples. In
order to increase the research’s credibility, the authors deployed approaches such as low-
inference descriptors and reflexivity. Low-inference descriptors, as suggested by Painter and
Ferrucci (2017) is the usage of “meticulously phrased” descriptors in researcher’s notes.
Meanwhile, reflexivity refers to the researcher’s “use of self-awareness, self-reflection, and
understanding of potential biases when analysing data.
Data Analysis
Qualitative method is used solely in this research to analyse the data, where observation on
the content and language used, and textual analysis were applied to extract and discuss the
findings.
The critical discourse analysis (CDA) placed emphasis on language as a power resource by
examining how language produces and moderates social and psychological phenomena
(Willig, 2014). Such power, as explained by Van Dijk (1993) can exercised through linguistic
surface structures. In the context of this research, it can be viewed and analysed based on the
film character’s tone, pauses, hesitation, laughter and other forms of non-verbal address such
as turning ones back away from the other character while having a conversation. Van Dijk
added that the constant shift of power between characters through their onscreen discourse
can be seen in how characters from a larger majority background assert dominance over
minority characters directly through text and talk or indirectly through subversive influence
over minds.
Fairclough (2001) noted that CDA is dependent on “a collection of techniques” for such
language studies in the context of social and cultural practice. Mullet’s (2018) general
analytical framework for CDA is based on a seven stages of analysis beginning from: 1)
select the discourse; 2) locate and prepare data sources; 3) explore the background of each
text; 4) code text and identify overarching themes; 5) analyse the external relations in the
texts; 6) analyse the internal relations in the texts; and 7) interpret the data. Similar use of this
analytical framework had been used in other studies such as Lazar (2007), Marling (2010),
Rizwan (2011) and Subterilu (2015).
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An analytical framework for textual analysis as shown in Table 2 was developed in the
research to analyse the two selected films. The textual analysis analytical framework was
adapted from a generic analytical framework for CDA created by Mullet (2018).
Table 2: An analytical framework for textual analysis

Stage of Analysis Description
1. Select the discourse The portrayal of Chinese characters in the two selected Malaysian contemporary
films was selected as the theme of the research. This was selected in order to
discuss and dissect multiracialism in contemporary Malaysian films through the
portrayal of Chinese characters.
2. Locate and prepare The data sources selected for data (texts) analysis are two contemporary Malaysian
data sources films i.e. “29 Februari” and “Ola Bola”.
3. Explore background Both selected contemporary Malaysian films feature a lead Chinese character in the
of each text films alongside a Malay lead actor. Similarly, both films incorporated events that
took place in Malaysian history across different time periods set in the past, and are
retold to the present audience by a supporting character. Both films were released
in Malaysian cinemas in post- 2010, which reflects the view of film’s producers
and directors of the current decade.
4. Code texts and Through the use of qualitative coding method, the main theme of the two selected
identify overarching films identified was multiracialism concept which feature multiracial casts. These
themes two films illustrate the interaction of Malaysian Chinese with other races
throughout the films, and the portrayal of Chinese characters in the films. The sub-
themes include identifying racial and ethnic diversity of Malaysian, the interaction
among different races and ethnic throughout the films, and interracial relationships
in the films.
5. Analyse the external Malays as the dominant race in Malaysia are often showcased in Malaysian
relations in the texts contemporary films, as compared to the diverse non-Malays. According to former
entertainment journalist Ku Seman Ku Husain (Bernama, 2018), many local film-
makers have failed to address is the inclusion of Malaysian elements in their
movies. Ku Seman added that almost all films by Malay directors revolved around
Malay people, instead of Malaysia. The lack of visibility of Chinese characters in
such films raises the question of what filmmakers assume Malaysia to be a single
race nation.
6. Analyse the internal The non-Malay characters such as Chinese and Indians in almost all contemporary
relations in the texts Malaysian films are given lesser screen time or fewer lines; the portrayal of non-
dominant racial characters is limited to supporting roles that are based on existing
racial stereotypes. Moreover, the creative consultant Amiruddin Karim (Bernama,
2018) noted that local film producers prefer making movies that appeal to
mainstream audiences, while sharing with Bernama his view on the issues of the
local film industry.
7. Interpret the data Data collected enables the authors to evaluate the extent of the filmmaker’s
approach towards making films that reflect cultural social norms as oppose to the
idea of a single dominant culture. With regards to the portrayal of Chinese
characters in the two selected films, this research would shed light on how these
characters impact the plot.
Source: Mullet (2018), p.122
The framework is pinned towards the earlier identified post-structuralist film theory, which
has been discussed in section 2.4.1. It is important to note that the interpretation of text as
suggested by Roberts (2000) can vary to be either representationally (used to identify
sources’ intended meaning) or instrumentally (interpreted with the use of researcher’s
selected theory). A hybrid interpretation of representationally and instrumentally were
deployed to fill in any gaps that may occur while analysing text.
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It is argued that researchers and scholars utilise textual analysis when examining mediums
such as film as (Miller, 2010 as cited in Painter & Ferruci, 2017):
… it helps unearth the meaning of individual programmes and links them to broader
social formations and problems and identify the ideological tenor of the content (p. 23).
Past research such as the study of Debrieux (2014) noted that actors of Middle-Eastern
origins almost exclusively portray radical Muslims or terrorists while female characters of
colour, they are usually depicted as exotic sexual objects in films. Hence, the direction of this
research was borrowed from Debrieux’s observations and took a look at the character
development and portrayal of Chinese characters to see if they too are subjected to some form
of stereotyping or typecasting towards a specific role based on their race. This research has
paid specific attention to:
i. the construction of Chinese characters through their spoken text dialogues, and
ii. the depiction of themes in the films which are conveyed through visual features
namely content, sequencing, type of shot and graphics as stated in Kavoori (1999 as
cited in Painter & Ferrucci, 2012, p. 252).
The textual analysis of films focused on the portrayal of two lead characters in the research:
(1) Lily (by Jojo Goh) in “29 Februari”, and (2) Tauke (by Chee Jun Cherng) from “Ola
Bola”.
Schneeweis and Foss (2017) suggested that textual analysis for a research should be analysed
using a coding guide based on themes identified in the literature review. Hence, the coding
guide for this research was based on identifying representations of “a sign of threat or
laughing stock”, and “weak Chinese male stereotype” or “winning heroes”. Meanwhile, focus
has also been given to the language used by Chinese characters when interacting with other
characters. Orelus (2011) stated that language can be an oppressing or emancipatory tool
depending on how it's used. Language is a vital part of the social construct of race where it
created, sustained and limited social inequality (Gillborn, 2011 as cited in Orelus, 2011).
Hence, this research has examined the language used by characters in the two selected films
when conversing with other characters of different races. The languages used in the films’
dialogue would be scrutinised on whether the languages are representative of the characters’
background and heritage. Accents and/or poor grammar usage (Schneeweis & Foss, 2017)
alongside interactions between Chinese and non-Chinese characters will also be explored.
Also, this research avoided the use of aesthetic judgements as McKee (2003) suggested that
such realist approach is an objective claim based on personal preference.
4. Research Findings
The RQ1 dealt primarily with the visibility of Chinese characters in the two selected films.
To answer this research question, the following were determined:
i. How were Chinese characters portrayed in “29 Februari” and “Ola Bola”? Were
Chinese characters performed leading or supporting roles in these films? Only
characters that have lines and are shown in the scenes explicitly were counted.
ii. What were the roles of Chinese characters portrayed in the selected films? Did the
plot involve Chinese characters in an integral way or were they assigned peripheral
roles? What roles did Chinese characters play in “29 Februari” and “Ola Bola”?
Were Chinese characters portrayed in a positive or negative light? Were they
shown as, for example, sympathetic, emotional, volatile, or flimsy?
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(i) How were Chinese characters portrayed in “29 Februari” and “Ola Bola”? Were
Chinese characters performed leading or supporting roles in these films?
Of the Chinese characters that have explicit roles in the two analysed films, there was a
Chinese character featured in a leading role for each film, i.e. Lily who is the female lead
character of Chinese descent in “29 Februari” (see Figure 2), while Chow Kwok Keong or
Tauke, the captain of the national football team is the male lead character of Chinese descent
in “Ola Bola” (see Figure 3).
Figure 2: “29 Februari” tells the story of its leading actress, a Chinese girl (Lily Ho) who falls in love with
a Malay guy (Budi)
Figure 3: “Ola Bola” tells the story of its leading actor, a Chinese guy (Chow Kwok Keong or Tauke), the
captain of the national football team who is also the eldest in his family, carries a great responsibility
towards his family, his girlfriend, and his team
In addition to the two lead roles, the supporting Chinese characters (only characters that have
lines and are shown in the scenes of the two selected films explicitly were counted)
highlighted in “29 Februari” are Julie Ho (Lily’s sister), Bob Ho (Lily’s father), Lily’s
mother, and Alex (Lily’s future fiancé) as shown in Figure 4, whereas in the “Ola Bola” are
Eric Yong, Ong Tiam Cai, Marianne Tan (a journalist), Chow Mei Ling (Tauke’s sister), and
Tan Siew Lee (Tauke’s girlfriend) as shown in Figure 5.
Figure 4: Chinese characters in supporting roles in “29 Februari”
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Figure 5: Chinese characters in supporting roles in “Ola Bola”
The directors of “29 Februari” (Edry Abdul Halim) and “Ola Bola” (Chiu Keng Guan) also
have established discernible personality traits of Chinese characters for each lead role, and all
the supporting roles in the films. Chinese characters that indirectly show in these films are
considered to be implicit, such as the security guard uncle in “Ola Bola”.
(ii) What were the roles of Chinese characters portrayed? What roles did Chinese
characters play in “29 Februari” and “Ola Bola”? Were Chinese characters
portrayed in a positive or negative light?
This question refers to the valence of the characters’ representation in the two selected films,
examining whether Chinese characters were portrayed in a positive or negative light. Zhang
(2014) pointed out that the criterion for judging positive or negative light is whether the
character is a good person or not. Characters are shown in a good light when they are
portrayed as moral, well behaved, civil, and courteous.
The Chinese characters in the samples of films are often shown to be a comedic device. Ma
(1993 as cited in Zhu, 2013) proclaimed that many Asian or Asian-American characters on
screen of Chinese descent often fall into the category of characters whom were seen as a sign
of threat or laughing stock which reaffirms the “irreconcilable differences that define the
Anglos as superior physically, spiritually and morally” (p. 404). Julie’s (“29 Februari”) and
Ong Tiam Cai’s (“Ola Bola”) behaviours on screens are not far off from Ma’s findings.
Julie, Lily’s younger sister is used as a comedic device (see Figure 6), often poking fun at
Budi or simply annoying her sister by threatening to tell their father of Lily’s romance with
Budi. Her suspicious demeanour is apparent as she does not trust Budi from the moment they
met at the beginning of the film and toward the extent of accusing Budi of stealing her picture
of R. Azmi that she dropped in an earlier scene. As for Ong Tiam Cai in the “Ola Bola” (see
Figure 7), his earlier character development started off as “‘weak and comical”; often being
the butt of jokes by other team members until ultimately given the opportunity to shine at the
end of the film.
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Figure 6: Julie, Lily’s younger sister (left), joking Figure 7: The character Ong Tiam Cai said in “Ola
with Budi on being a fan of the late Malay singer, Bola”, “Even if I were a little screw, I should be a
R. Azmi in “29 Februari” useful screw”
Moreover, Rajgopal (2010 as cited in Paner, 2018) noted that when Asians are given roles in
Hollywood, they are often stereotyped; Asians were portrayed unfavourably in media,
deeming them as passive foreigners without dimension. Most of the Chinese characters were
type casted to fit the roles ranging from “helpless heathen”, “power-hungry despots”, “pudgy
de-sexed detective”, “comical loyal servant”, to “sensuous dragon ladies” bearing an evil
scheme (Ma, 1993 as cited in Zhu, 2013). Paner (2018) added, “These stereotypes do not just
stay on screen, but instead bleed into how Asians are perceived outside of media, leaving
detrimental cultural and social consequences and leading to feelings of inferiority” (p. 7).
However, Ma (1993 as cited in Zhu, 2013) found that over the years, Chinese characters
shifted from mere supporting casts that are often depicted as weak and comical to lead roles
that projected strength and confidence; often at par with their white counterparts. Drawing
upon Ma’s work, Zhu’s observation is relevant in “Ola Bola” as Tauke and eventually Eric
Yong and Ong Tiam Cai are given the “winning heroes” treatment.
5. Discussion and Conclusion
Both films explored the themes of interracial relationships with “29 Februari” taking the
romance approach while “Ola Bola” focused on camaraderie and brotherhood. In both films,
common language such as English or Bahasa Malaysia was often used during inter-cultural
interactions and conversations. The use of Mandarin and Chinese dialects (e.g. Cantonese)
were limited to conversations between Chinese characters in the films. As can be seen in
Table 1, both films deployed the use of different languages and dialects namely Malay,
Cantonese, Mandarin, English while in “Ola Bola”, Hokkien and Tamil were also used. The
usage of multilingual dialogues in both films resonates with Maheendran (2017) in which the
usage of multiple languages in a film indirectly portrayed the appealing aspect of living in a
multiracial country, allowing an open mind to a society with rich culture and tradition.
Likewise in both films, Chinese characters would converse with each other in either
Mandarin, or dialects such as Cantonese and Hokkien. The same can be said when Malay
characters converse with each other in Malay.
In summary, several conclusions can be drawn from the analysis of the two Malaysian
contemporary films on the portrayal of Chinese characters as follows:
 Chinese characters were acknowledged to be different than the rest of the characters
in the films through the use of languages. This was done early on in the films; for
examples, in “29 Februari”, Lily was introduced to the audience as she and her sister
Julie knocked over Razak while chasing after a celebrity. Julie called to Lily in
Cantonese, while in “Ola Bola”, Marianne spoke to her colleagues at work in
Cantonese while reporting to her editor, Rahman in English.
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 Lead Chinese characters were independent heroes and heroines as seen in “29
Februari” where Lily ran away to be independent on her own when she could not
reconcile both Budi and her father Mr Ho. Meanwhile, in “Ola Bola”, Tauke
shouldered on the role as the charismatic team captain that will lead the national team
to the Olympics.
 Of the 11 Chinese characters that have explicit roles in the two analysed films, the
supporting Chinese characters that were given the role of comic relief were found in
both films, namely Julie in “29 Februari” and Ong Tiam Cai in “Ola Bola”. Both
characters carried significant roles towards plot development but however were
signalled out to a one dimensional humorous character.
 Racial stereotypes of the Chinese community were reinforced namely through the
portrayal of Mr Ho in “29 Februari” as a typical apek Cina (Chinese uncle in the
Malaysian context). Mr Ho served as a minor antagonist in the film and his uptight
behaviour created the necessary tension and conflict to move the film’s plot forward.
 Unity is a common theme found in both films. “Ola Bola” focused on national unity
from the point of view of the Malaysian football team while “29 Februari” explored
on interracial relationships. In order to realise the theme of unity in both films, film
directors decided to put the spotlight on the character’s different racial background
and used that to move the plot forward with regards to how characters move towards
unity.
Results of the research are in line with the post-structuralist approach of subjective
interpretation while portrayal of Chinese characters were also in line with the stereotype
analysis in terms of how minority characters are portrayed in films. The use of the CDA
framework helped streamline the research process and reduced errors. This research further
substantiated existing arguments by Maheendran (2017), as well as Nurul and Fariza (2018)
that multiculturalism is deeply rooted in Malaysian films and can make the discussion of
navigating between the different races in Malaysia less taboo (Wong, Pillai & Ong, 2018).
The use of Chinese characters in contemporary Malaysian films provides the visibility of the
Chinese community in the Malaysian film landscape. Such visibility and acknowledgement
on film is important in creating a more diverse film industry and telling vibrant narratives of
the stories of Malaysia.
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Examining The Portrayal of Chinese Characters in Malaysian Contemporary Films Using Textual Analysis: Two Case Studies

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Asian Journal of Arts, Culture and Tourism

e-ISSN: 2710-5830 | Vol. 2, No. 2, 19-32, 2020

Examining the Portrayal of Chinese Characters in Malaysian

*Corresponding Author: siewph@utar.edu.my

Accepted: 1 June 2020 | Published: 15 June 2020

Keywords: Malaysian contemporary films, Chinese characters, textual analysis

According to Department of Statistics Malaysia (2018), the Chinese community comprises 23

The portrayal of Chinese characters in contemporary Malaysian films also allowed us to

2. The Homogeneity of Malaysian Films

Table 1: Two samples of films in the research

Scenes from “29 Februari”

Scenes from “Ola Bola”

Data Collection Procedure

Table 2: An analytical framework for textual analysis

Figure 4: Chinese characters in supporting roles in “29 Februari”

Figure 5: Chinese characters in supporting roles in “Ola Bola”

5. Discussion and Conclusion

Ciecko, A. T. (Ed.). (2006). Contemporary Asian Cinema: Popular Culture in a Global

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