Thematic Analysis of the Pakatan Harapan Manifesto: A Linguistic Study of Political Discourse

Abstract

Political manifestos serve as vital instruments used by political parties to communicate their ideology, promises, and policy directions to the public. Thematic analysis allows scholars to investigate the underlying meanings, values, and ideological structures found in texts, especially in political discourse. This study focuses on the Pakatan Harapan Manifesto for Malaysia’s 14th General Election as a key document reflecting the coalition’s aspirations and reformist ideals. The objectives of this study are to identify the main themes within the manifesto text, analyze the use of language and linguistic strategies, and explain the relationship between the identified linguistic themes in the political discourse of Pakatan Harapan (GE14). This study adopts a qualitative approach by analyzing the textual data of the Pakatan Harapan Manifesto 2018 (“Kita Boleh!”) using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) Thematic Analysis framework. The analysis identified six main themes and twenty codes that represent thematics in the Pakatan Harapan Manifesto. The findings reveal that the manifesto constructs a people-centered and reform-oriented discourse emphasizing well-being, transparency, education, and sustainability, thereby portraying Pakatan Harapan as a coalition committed to progressive governance and the welfare of the people.