Arabic Language in Political Discourse: A Sociolinguistic Analysis of the 2024 Malang Mayoral Candidate Debate

Abstract

This study examines the use of Arabic language in the 2024 Malang mayoral candidate debate through the perspectives of sociolinguistics and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Language in political discourse functions not only as a means of communication, but also as a symbolic instrument for constructing identity, ideology, and political legitimacy. In the Indonesian context, Arabic is strongly associated with piety, moral authority, and Islamic identity. This study aims to analyze the forms, functions, and ideological dimensions of Arabic language use by candidates in constructing political images and building closeness with Muslim voters. This research employs a descriptive qualitative approach using a sociolinguistic discourse analysis design combined with Norman Fairclough’s CDA model. The data consist of candidates’ utterances containing Arabic elements, such as words, phrases, greetings, prayers, and hadith quotations in the 2024 Malang local election public debate. Data sources were obtained from debate recordings broadcast on the YouTube channels of City Guide 911 FM, Harian Surya, and TV9. Data were collected through observation, transcription, note-taking, and classification, then analyzed through the dimensions of text, discursive practice, and social practice. The findings show that Arabic was used not merely as a religious expression, but as a political communication strategy embedded with symbolic and ideological meanings. Arabic was employed to construct an image of piety, strengthen moral legitimacy, and emphasize closeness to Muslim voters. The practice of code-switching into Arabic also represented the construction of political identity and power. Within the CDA framework, language functions as a tool of symbolic hegemony to shape political images and influence public perception. Thus, Arabic played a dual role as a marker of Islamic identity and an instrument of political legitimacy. This study concludes that language politics in the public sphere is an arena of interaction between values, identity, and power. The use of Arabic in the Malang local election confirms that language is not merely a means of communication, but also a strategic resource for building trust and social legitimacy.