POLITENESS IN VERBAL COMMUNICATION AMONG MALAYSIAN SOCIETY BASED ON LEECH’S PRINCIPLE OF POLITENESS

Politeness in verbal communication is important for harmony in a country especially Malaysia which consists of a variety of races, ethnicities, and religions. However, the impoliteness in verbal communication among the members of the community is increasingly worrying until it becomes trending in nowadays communication. The use of impolite language, dialects, and cursing has destroyed the culture of politeness in verbal communication which is a very significant element in the growth and development of a society as an expresser of philosophy, knowledge, and thinking as well as a tool for human creativity in various fields of life. Thus, language should be put in an appropriate place in the context of developing and consolidating a civilized society. In the context of Malaysian society, politeness in verbal communication is emphasized as a reflection of Malaysian society. Accordingly, this study aims to identify the maxims of politeness in verbal communication among the Malaysian community as well as the relationship between Leech's Principles of Politeness and the socio-culture society in Malaysia. The research method is quantitative and involves primary data collection through a survey of 272 youths among the Malays, Chinese, and Indian communities around the Klang Valley. The findings revealed that there is politeness in verbal communication in the maxims of politeness, kindness, and polite maxims and consent in Malaysian society. Leech’s Principles of Politeness proves that all three maxims have successfully unified various ethnicities that reflect the identity of Malaysian society. Hence, this study can be used as a reference for politeness in verbal communication which is very significant in multi-ethnic society in Malaysia.