SPEECH ACTS AND POWER OF “17 + 8 TUNTUTAN RAKYAT”

Abstrak

This study examines the discourse of “17 + 8 People’s Demands” from a pragmatic perspective, using a case study of news coverage related to the riots during the people’s protest in early September 2025. The urgency of this study lies in the use of language at the level of meaning conveyed in interviews and news narratives. This study aims to identify speech acts used in interviews and media coverage regarding the “17 + 8 People’s Demands” discourse circulating on social media. The method employed is purposive sampling based on established criteria, utilizing Austin and Searle’s Speech Acts theory and Fairclough’s Discourse Analysis. This study aims to (1) identify the types of speech acts used in the “17 + 8 People’s Demands” text, and (2) explain the function of language in constructing the people’s position as political subjects who possess the authority to demand change from stakeholders or those in power. The researcher views the urgency of this issue from a linguistic perspective, particularly regarding speech acts. News narratives and interviews are considered the most appropriate primary data sources for analyzing this phenomenon. The language used by the interviewees is regarded as a representative data source for examination within the pragmatic domain by evaluating speech act strategies, one of which is the directive speech act. Directive speech acts aim to exert influence from the interviewees, they are the representative of the protesters and guest speakers. This influence is expected to encourage the addressee, in this case is the government, especially the President, to take action in accordance with the speaker’s wishes. Forms of directive speech acts include commands, requests, appeals, advice, and coercion. These demands aim to ensure that the targeted party follows up on and resolves the various issues raised by the speakers. The international news is chosen because the researcher seeks to examine how the tragedy of the demonstration related to the “17 + 8 People’s Demands” is narrated across countries. The assertive function is the most dominant speech act function used. This phenomenon indicates that power is exercised not only through formal institutions but also through linguistic practices. Although political phenomena related to demonstrations have been extensively studied, from a linguistic perspective, particularly in terms of linguistic analysis, political discourse on this issue has not been extensively researched.