Introduction

• Site visit:

– Pasar Bisik (Whisper market) Kuala Muda, Penang

• Objectives for this research paper:

a. To know more about haggling activities in Pasar Bisik.

b. To get involved in the haggling activities in Pasar Bisik.

c. To know the language and jargons used in Pasar Bisik.

d. To know the cultures in Pasar Bisik.

Background of Pasar Bisik

• Fisherman village

• Location:

– 18 km from Butterworth, Penang

– northern part of Seberang Perai, Penang

– border of Penang and Kedah

• Name of Kuala Muda -name of a river that cut cross the

northern part of Penang, Sungai Muda (Muda River).

• Whisper to bargain- named as Pasar Bisik (whisper market)

– tradition has been passed down from the last few generation to

the next generation

Reasons why we choose Pasar Bisik

• Uniqueness of Pasar Bisik:

– Whisper to haggling

– Shout the type of fishes not the price of it

– Site to buy cheap fresh sea foods

– Has many functions- not only for haggling activity

– Strategic location- near the seaside

– Community- participants come from different background

and different races

Methodology

• Video recording:

– Divided into 2 session:

• Observed the location and the community involved.

• Interviewed the participants and recorded their answers

• Preparing some ground knowledge about Pasar Bisik.

– online research

– verbal questionnaire with the participants

Community background• Original members:

– villagers who work as fishermen

– villagers who are the customers

• Participants:– Fish traders

– Customers• Buy for family

• Buy for restaurant

– Clerk

– Fishmongers

– Fishermen

• Language:

– Non-verbal

• Node head- agree to do the transaction

• Poke to whisper-interested to buy (customer)

• Put hand at ear -he is ready to sell his haul (fishmonger)

– Verbal

• Use Bahasa Melayu with northern dialect

– Eg: berapa -> beqapa (how much?)

• Use Bahasa Melayu with Chinese slang

• Activities:

– Segmenting activity

• Fishermen segmented the works among them

– Business activity

• Trading (buy fish in a big quantity):

– Frozen fish

– Fresh sea food

• Coffee shop

– Clerk who control the trading activity

– Hawking activity

• Open the stall surround the Pasar Bisik

– Place where people meet and socializing with each other

Literature review

Speech communityDell Hymes -a community who shares knowledge of rules for the

conduct and interpretation of speech.

Milroy and Milroy -implied the term speech networks, instead of speech community since they are focusing on the density of a network,

considering the frequency of participants to interact to each other.

Leonard Bloomfield -a group of people who interact by means of speech.

William Labov -a group of people who shared the same attitude and norms towards a language is considered a speech community.

Code switching

Saville Troike-stated that code switching may occur within a domain or social situations, depending on the participants

and their relation.

Nancy Bonvillain-Code switching also added up to the clarity of the conveyed messages since it allows the speaker to express

their thoughts and intention best.

Speech network

Janet Holmes -There are two types of speech networks which are represented by plexity. A Uniplex relationship involves

two individuals who interact in only one area, as example, in the office, while the Multiplex allows individuals to interact

outside boundaries.

Milroy and Milroy -People who are in ‘dense network’ got the encouragement to conform among members, due to the shared values while those in ‘weak networks’ tend to not to confront each other frequently due to lack of shared values.

Conversation

Dell Hymes -Communication, indeed, involves the contextual component in which it consists of the setting, topic discussed,

participants and goal.

Judith Irvine -It can be divided into formal and informal continuum. It is indeed; affect the intimacy between the participants.

Nancy Bonvillain -Usually a conversation can be determined to satisfy personal interest, if it is an informal event and communal

interest when it involves a community.

Data description & analysis

Conversation• Jargon:

– “penyakit” -> fish that cannot be sold

– “angkat” -> deal to sell

• Verbal -> in Penang dialect– “Lina: Kak tau dak kenapa depa bisik?

– Clerk: kak pun tak tau la. Tapi memang tradisidepa lagi dari dulu lagi.”

• Non-verbal -> Used our fingers to show how many kilograms of fishes do we intend to buy.

Code switching

• From Bahasa Melayu with northern-dialect to Bahasa Melayu with Hokkien slang

– Eg:

• Fishtrader (malay): nak angkat beqapa?

• Customer (chinese): lu mau kasi berapa?

• Fishtrader (malay) : wa kasi lu 50 ringgit sekilo, mauka?

• Communication Barrier:

– Atikah cannot understand Penang dialect

• “Atikah: Pak cik, selalunya harga ikan berapa?

• Fishmonger: Hang nak ikan lagu mana?

• Atikah: lagu? (she is thinking about song)”

– Sound barrier- too noisy

• Participants are not only from Penang but also

from Kedah.

Activities

HagglingBusiness- Coffee shop

Politics

socializing Segmenting works

Pasar Bisik is also a place where the

school dropouts work to earn living.

Conclusion

• Communication differences make it unique in its own way.

• Pasar Bisik should continue being open to media coverage

on Pasar Bisik.

• Pasar Bisik as a place where the various cultures and unity

blended nicely.

• Objectives set for this research were achieved, successfully.