Conflict Communication in the Development Project of Bandar Malaysia

Abstract

Project Bandar Malaysia is a commercial development project that occupies 486 acres of land and will boost commercial and innovation activities, as well as provide a better quality of residential housing and main transportation hub. The involved parties in the event include China government, the Malaysian government (Barisan Nasional), the Malaysian government (Pakatan Harapan), IWH-CREC Sdn Bhd (ICSB), the Wanda Dalian Group, and other potential investors. Qualitative analysis was performed on the information provided by the informant to identify the types of conflicts occurring and the methods of handling the conflicts, which are explained in Dual Concern Theory, such as Domination, Integration, Compromising, Avoiding, and Obliging. The main factor that caused the conflicts is subsequently analyzed, which is the communication factor. A weak communication system between the parties involved in the conflicts between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan during the government transitional period has caused the project Bandar Malaysia to develop roughly. Therefore, the study determines whether the conflict management taken by the government is consistent with the five elements stated in the Dual Concern Theory and the effectiveness of communication according to Aristotle's Communication Model through its three components.

Keywords: communication; conflict; development; Malaysia