The Implications of iah, ah, and hah as

Used by Some Speakers in Malaysia

Kuang Ching Hei

Faculty of Languages and Linguistics
University of Malaya

Introduction

The official language of the multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-cultural coun­

try of Malaysia may be Malay but another language, English, is never lacking
in use. Asmah Haji Omar (1994) states that it is the second most important
language after Malay and is a language socially embraced by the mass media,
as well as by professionals like the medical, dental, hospitality and corporate
sectors. Constantly being compared to its predecessor, Queen's English (or
Received Pronunciation or Standard English), a language legacy left behind
by its colonial masters, Malaysian English (ME) is one spoken variety cur­
rently being debated upon by its people. ME may not be what its predecessor
was, i.e. appropriately accentuated, grammatically correct, and widely used by
the educated group -the elites, but it certainly contains its own characteristics.
On a closer look, perhaps, ME should not be considered as a distorted form of
English, but instead. be considered as one variety of English such as in the
World Englishes proposed by Kachru (1986). This is because it is a language
of characteristics that clearly defines the ethnic and cultural background of its
134 JURNAL BAHASA MODEN

speakers. In addition, ME is only one of the many registers of spoken English

readily available in the country, besides other registers like the pidginised va­
riety (Asmah Haji Omar 1982), and the standard variety such as those one
hears from the radio or television news. As such, it should not be taken on a
trip of reformation or demise. After all, ME is only a spoken variety, a creative
variety as well as a national entity that only true Malaysians can understand
although it cannot be denied that some Malaysians have even adopted its spo­
ken form into their writings.

What constitutes ME? Briefly, ME is a form of spoken English that is

most distinguished by its ungrammatical structures, its monosyllabic tones, its
colourful and borrowed expressions created by the influence of local languages
as well as its 'accentuated' forms i.e. it is spoken with the accents of locally
spoken languages. For instance, a local Malay speaking in English may not be
able to place the required emphasis on his spoken words the way native speak­
ers would. Instead, his spoken English carries intonations of Malay, not to
mention the fact that it is also very often tinged with his first language (Ll)
influence in structure. In the same way, a local Chinese who is speaking En­
glish may also be likely to impose his Ll intonations and syntax structures on
his spoken English thus making his English sound like Chinese being "dubbed"
in English while a local Indian speaking English may possibly carry Indian or
Tamil intonations as well as his Ll influence on his spoken form. As a result,
the three main ethnic groups of Malaysia can be easily identified and distin­
guished by their spoken accents. However, it must be emphasised here that
not all Malaysian Malay, Chinese or Indian speak in this manner.

Further to that, today's spoken Malaysian English cannot be divorced by

its adjoining tags which are characteristically made up of the well-known lah,
10, rna, ah, hah, is it? and also kan particles. These tags have become more
rampant through the years because of the younger generation speakers who
are not only creative but are also very influenced by friends and peers who
tend to insert Ll markers or tags into their utterances, some of which are typi­
fied by the Chinese ah, hah, la, and rna, the Malay lah and the Indian ai yo-yo.
There may, however, be debates over this claim since studies carried out by
Richards and Tay (1977), Kwan-Terry (1978) and Goddard (1994) may sug­
gest otherwise. However, since it is not the aim of this paper to make claims
and contentions about the origins of these tags, but to merely draw attention to
the usage of some of these tags, the researcher reserves her comments.
 THE IMPLICATIONS OF LAH. AH. AND HAH AS USED BY SOME SPEAKERS 135

Aim

This study looks at two groups of ethnic Malaysians, Malays and Chinese, in
the way they perfonn their oral interactions, whether through Chinese (Man­
darin or Hokkien) or Malay, particularly in the manner their intentions, de­
sires, or emotions were demonstrated via the use of Malaysian discourse markers
or particles. Data collected and analysed in this study suggests that specific
Malaysian discourse markers or particles, whether tagged at the beginning, in
the middle or at the end of utterances, carry specific connotations as a result of
mother tongue or L l influences. Forthe purpose of analysing data collected in
this study, I will attempt to construct a hypothesis for the use of the Malaysian
particles of lah(la), and ah(aaa) by adopting some of Lee's (ibid.) comments
while the analysis of the hah particle is my own.

Theoretical Framework

In her discussion on the Malaysi an mosaic of languages, Asmah Haji Omar

(1982:I 36-7) illustrated three versions of Pidgin English in Malaysia. Accord­
ing to her, each of these versions had language structures which emulate its
base language whether Indian, Malay, or Chinese. She observes that all the
three versions illustrated a 'simplification process' which takes on the form of
deletions of certain categories and elements of structure like numbers, tense,
copula and so on. One particular simplified version which was observed was
the Malaysian "is it?" tag which was used. However, Asmah Haji Omar of­
fered no explanation for its occurrence.

Lee Su Kim (The STAR, October 31, 1995) in her article, Malaysian
Flavours, looks at the Malaysian way of speaking English and she suggests
that the Malaysian 'is it?' is a Malaysian eccentricity which is attached to
every statement that has been intended to become a question. An English ex­
patriate living in Malaysia (quoted in Lee's article) identifies this phenom­
enon as "Malaysianism" and in his letter to Lee (ibid.) posits that the Malay­
sian tag of "is it?" is a redundancy. For example, in "[t's raining, is itT' there
was no necessity to tag on "is it?" he argues. However, in her response to this,
Lee (ibid.) suggests that the Malaysian "is it?" was employed by Malaysians
as a softening strategy. She suggests that this occurrence was a result of the
influence of LI interference which when translated to Malay would sound
similar to the kan which is an abbreviated form of bukan' which means "isn't
it?" Similarly, the term, kan can be considered as synonymous to the Chinese/
136 JURNAL BAHASA MOOEN

Cantonese hai-mai? or the ChineselHokkien see woh? (another variation of

see boh?), both of which simply means "isn't it?"

The Malaysian linguistic scenery, according to Asmah Haji Omar (1982),

has the most interesting environment and the most conducive atmosphere which
can and have contributed to the proliferation of the language shift nation wide.
With the influx of immigrants and foreign workers to Malaysia, it may even be
possible that the current variety of ME becomes more culturally enriched when
the country becomes home to more and more other ethnic groups such as Indo­
nesians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and East Malaysians who speak other eth­
nic languages. Presently, studies done on ME are currently few and those that
are available are limited to studies on code switching, Malay indirectness as
well as studies on the use of the lahlla.

The discourse patterns of Malaysian utterances have often been identi­

fied by its ungrammatical structures, monosyllabic intonations, code switch­
ing, simplified forms Asmah (1982), not to mention the ambiguity created by
LI translations. In addition, Malaysian speakers are also well known for their
insistence on tagging markers like is it? and lah onto their utterances. As
markers in discourse norms, the use of lah has often been associated with per­
suasion, disapproval, and anger which are depicted by the following examples.

a. Comela, don't be shy. (Persuasion)

b. Maybe evening dressla. (Uncertainty)
c. Where are you now? In my officela. (Anger)
(Lecture notes on Bilingualism)

Seen as an inseparable component of the spoken form of ME, the dis­

course markers of the typical lah, ah, and hah surely must bear certain func­
tions, for without them, the meanings or true intentions of the speakers may
not be conveyed.

In her discussion on the functions perfonned by English discourse mark­

ers, Schiffrin (1987a) listed several items such as oh, well, and, but, or so,
because, IlOW theil, y'kllow and I mean. Schiffrin specifically identifies the
'exchange structures', 'ideational structures', and 'action structures' performed
by these markers. She argues that it is through these markers that a sense of
coherence is achieved when interlocutors transmit their communicative inten-
 THE IMPLICATIONS OF LAH. AH. AND HAH AS USED BY SOME SPEAKERS 137

tions within an integrated framework of interactionally emergent structures,

meanings, and actions.

Similarly, in his examination of one particular discourse marker, yeah.

Drummond (1993) states that it typifies as 'acknowledgement tokens' which
occur in ordinary conversations through a range of constructions made up of
markers like uh huh, yeah, or oh. He also acknowledges the fact that many
languages seem to include these acknowledgement tokens or continuers in
their use-lexicon. Drummond (ibid.) suggests that these acknowledgement to­
kens provide avenues for the speakers to perform different functions such as
tum taking, continuing, or making a complete change of the topic.

Methodology Data and Subject

Data compiled for the analysis of this paper was collected through a series of
recordings of conversations undertaken by three people in three separate set­
tings. The first set of recording comprises a young Chinese family from Petaling
Jaya in Selangor, the biggest state in Peninsular Malaysia. The mother, who is
in her late thirties, is an academician at a local instituition of higher learning.
Her recordings are made up of several conversation input provided by her
family: a mother (Mom), a twelve year old boy (SH), and a four year old boy
(PH). The three respondents speak Mandarin and English interchangeably at
home with occasional Hokkien being spoken between Mom and SH. The re­
cordings were done in a relaxed setting, affer office hours and in the presence
of the two boys and their mother who is also the person recording the conver­
sations.

The second set of recording was compiled by a Malay academician,

Faridah, who is teaching in a local university and is in her late twenties. The
participants of her recorded conversations are all female Malay adults who
share the same house and are teachers at the same university. The recordings
were also taken in a relaxed setting, i.e. after office hours. The participants
speak Malay and English interchangeably in their daily conversations.

The third set of recording was compiled by the researcher's course mate,
Nan, who is also a Malay academician working in an all Malay teaching col­
lege in Tanjung Malim, Perak. The recordings were made by the course mate
who recorded the conversations of his friends cum teacher trainees who are all
male and are currently undergoing teacher's training at the college. Their first
138 JURNAL BAHASA MODEN

language or mother tongue is Malay and they come from different states of the
peninsular. Their conversations were recorded in the college but during an
informal discussion.

Analysis

As has been explained earlier,the intention of this paper is to look at the impli­
cations of the use of the various particles used by some Malaysian speakers in
their daily utterances. In this paper, the term particles refer to the items,lah, ah
and hah irrespective of whether or not the items appear in the beginning, middle
or end of the utterance. The term tag is used if the items appear at the end of the
utterance. For the benefit of discussion, the same items may be referred to as
discourse markers.

The use of these markers, particularly in Malaysian utterances,have been

described as a Malaysian thing. However, it is also not uncommon to hear
these same discourse markers being used by speakers in its neighbouring coun­
try, Singapore. Since the sample group of this study comprise only Malay and
Chinese speakers, the findings of this study suggest that the implications shown
here arc therefore, not conclusive. In this paper, it is noted that the differences
in spelling for the tags of lah, ah and hah make no impact on the implications.

The "lah" particle

It is a Malaysian skill to be able to insert the Malaysian tag, lah, into our daily
conversations. The skill in using lah is second nature to most if not all Malay­
sians but to a foreigner, it certainly requires some learning which can only be
acquired from intent listening and exposure. One must know when to interject
lah into the conversations because lah cannot be placed any where nor any
time that one likes. For instance, one can say,

"Eatlah" or
"Don't know whylah, or
"This computer refused to worklah."

One, however, does not say, "The dog is inlah the house" because then
the lah after "in" becomes incoherent by nature. In the same line of discussion,
one cannot use lah as inadvertently as in "Golah in you" One can, however,
 THE IMPLICATIONS OF LAH. AH. AND HAH AS USED BY SOME SPEAKERS 139

say, "Go inlah you" where the emphasis in on the action of entering". Simi­
larly,one can say,"The dog is in the bouselah" or "The doglah is in lbe house"
to indicate a certain intention or moti ve as suggested by Goddard (1994) but
one does not say, ''The dog islah in the house" nor "Thelah dog is in the house"
simply because in doing so, these two statements have become ambiguous and
incoherent in nature.

In most instances, local speakers use the lah tag unconsciously, like a
natural part of their lives, in their speecbes and conversations,especially among
their counterparts, and very few of these speakers would make a conscious
attempt to erase the use of the lah tag from their daily spoken ME because as I
will discuss later, the use of lah can enable the speaker to perform several
intentions or motives without being too direct and abrasive. While the Malay­
sian tag, lah has been adopted by various writers, radio disc jockeys and
commercials for various impacts, the ever natural and ubiquitous lah has
various roles to perform, depending on the aim of the speakers and the set­
tings. For instance, lah is tagged at the end of an utterance, particularly to­
wards the end of a dialogue, to mark emphasis, as the following example will
show.

Example 1:

M: How was your day today?

SH: Nicelah.

M was asking SH of his new experience at staying in a new environmenlf

place. From SH's reply of "Nicelah" we can see that it is an emphasis which
implies that not only did SH find the experience good, it was "better" than
good because he obviously enjoyed the new experience of being in a new
place. In order to accentuate the emphasis, "Nicelah" has to be said with an
increased tone in "Nice" and a gradual drop in lah. In this context, there is an
accompaniment of positive facial expressions like a smile.

Example 2:

S: The first thing inilah yang dia punya . ....butiran dia.

(Translation: The first thing, thislah is his, his details.)
140 JURNAL BAHASA MODEN

From example (2), it is apparent that when the speaker switched from
English to Malay, lah was injected. The expression, "Inilah" was said as a
reiteration of what was already spoken in English, "The first thing" Serving
as an emphasIs of the tOPIC, Lah was said in a faster manner, staccato like,
where "ini" could have gone unnoticed. Since the speaker's intention was merely
to emphasise his point, "the first thing", the entire utterance may have been
spoken with less noticeable facial expressions.

Example 3:

B. Kalau kita kaitkan alam sekitar dengan PJ, tujuan kita,

macam mu kata tadilah. Untuk mewujudkan perasaan
cinta kepada alam sekitar kita. Jadi kalau dalam PJ ...ini
aku bagi contoh. Ini pendapat akulah .. Aku nak kata
apalah?
(Translation. If we link the environment with Physical Education (PE),
our objective is like you suggested earlierlah. To raise
awareness of love for our environment. So, in PE. .Iet
me give my own example. This is my opinionlah .... What
did I want to say?)

Although this utterance was conducted in Malay, the use of La" tagged
after the words "tadi", "aku" and "apa" do not bear the same implications. For
instance, "tadilah" would illustrate emphasis on the topic of discussion - envi­
ronment. "Akulalr" also focusses emphasis on the speaker, but "apaLah" dem­
onstrates the speaker's attempt in thinking aloud, a strategy in trying to recall
what he wanted to say "apaLalr" would have been interjected in a quieter tone,
probably accompanied by body gestures which would suggest a desire to rec­
ollect, for e.g. wrinkled eyebrows or a tapping of the finger on the head/temple.

Example 4:

FM. I was just smiling. Hei, beratLah.

(Translation. Hei, it's heavylah!)

In this instance, Lah was employed by the speaker to convey disapproval.

As have been discussed by Asmah Haji Omar (1995), speech acts among the
Malay community has often been conducted indirectly as a form of politeness.
In this context, FM was displaying displeasure at having to lift an Object which
 THE IMPLICATIONS OF LAH. AH. AND HAH AS USED BY SOME SPEAKERS 141

was too heavy for her liking. "Beratlah" was spoken with a stretched empha­
sis on the lah, usually accompanied by facial expressions which would dem­
onstrate displeasure.

Example 5:

FM: Tapi sekarang ni dah jauh, malaslah 1.

(Translation: But now it's too late, I'm too lazy!)

In example (5), the use of lah in "malaslah" is identical to example (4).

Not only is the motive to display displeasure, lah is also employed as a display
of rebelliousness, showing the speaker's difference in opinion with her inter­
locutors! "Beratlah is also spoken accompanied by negative facial expressions,
say, a screwed-up looking face.

Example 6:

Z: Lela. ...because she's the dealer, kalau beli dekat luar

memang mahallah, if you buy from other people.
(Translation'" Lela .... because she's the dealer, if you buy from outside,
of course it is expensive if you buy from other people.)

Besides serving as an emphasis of the speaker's encouragement for her

interlocutors to acquire their merchandise from the dealer, "mahallah" was
said as an admonishment to the rest for not supporting her idea. "Mahallah"
was said with a quick emphasis on "mahal" while lah would be slightly
stretched.

Example 7'

M: Of courselah you enjoy staying in other people's house.

The use of lah after "of course" is an example of the speaker's (M)
desire to belittle her interlocutor. "Of courselah" was said with a stretched
emphasis on the second syllable, thus demonstrating sheer mockery or insult
which was intended by M.
142 JURNAL BAHASA MODEN

Example 8:

SH: YaLah, I record for youLah, my

The use of Lah in this instance, not only shows emphasis on "YesNa" but
it also displays irritation. "YaLah" is said with a negative display of facial ex­
pressions accompanied by a raised tone on the first syllable and the second one
being stretched. "YouLah" also shows emphasis as well as irritation for the
listener who is someone of a higher authority, in this case, SH's mother. This
strategy has been described by Richard (1983) in his discussion of Language
Transfer as an avoidance strategy, an attempt to cut the conversation short.

Example 9'

FR. Ketinggalan zamanLah you.

(Translation. You are behind timelah.)

The use of lah in example ( 9) was to show mockery and displeasure. As

subtlety is common in Malay culture, FR was subtly mocking her listener with
regards to being "behind time". Just as English could place emphasis on "YOU"
or "TIME", the speaker decided to convey her mockery of her listener's out­
datedness by saying "Ketinggalan zamanLah you." This was said with more
emphasis on you where the object of mockery was the listener. Usually, mock­
eries are accompanied by more positive facial expressions such as a smile, in
this case. The accompaniment was necessary as it provides a softening impact
cushioning the listener who would have been hurt otherwise.

Example 10:

l. Assignment, kena buat topikLah. Buat topik satu dua dua.

( Translation. Assignments,got to do topicsLah. Do topics one two two.)

Among peers, it is not uncommon to display laziness or boredom through

the use of Lah. Like the example above demonstrates,Lah is used by the speaker
to display his resentment as well as his laziness in having to complete an as­
signment. The tone emphasised in the Lah on the third syllable - topikLah,was
stretched. Further,lah was said in accompaniment with negative facial expres­
sions.

Example II
 THE IMPLICATIONS OF LAH. AH. AND HAH AS USED BY SOME SPEAKERS 143

I. Apalah hang!
(Translation: Whatlah you!)

The use of lah in the above example demonstrates a direct verbal colli­
sion between two interlocutors to show displeasure and anger as a result of
some negative consequence."Apalah" was said very quickJy as a way of dis­
tancing oneself from one's reprimand as quickJy as possible.

From this analysis, it can be seen that in addition to being employed as a

means of displaying emphasis, disapproval, and admonishment, lah can be
further employed to perform other functions like to show insult or mockery
Asian communities have always avoided the nature of face-to-face confronta­
tions. Just as the Malays are indirect and subtle in their requests for things (see
Asmah Haji Omar 1992 and Jamaliah Mohd. Ali 1992), other Malaysian speak­
ers too seem to have acquired this syndrome of conveying their intentions
indirectly. Hence, the Malaysian lah has become a verbal aid which can help
to convey the speaker's needs such as in displaying the speaker's reproach of
another's ignorance, naivety, or absurdness, by merely suggesting these inten­
tions to the other participants through the mechanism of using the Malaysian
tag, lah. This strategy is a more acceptable method of dealing with people
especially when it involves something controversial or conflicting in nature.
Among Malaysians, by doing so, one is saying that one has the desire to avoid
a conflict which may "save the face" of one of both parties. From the above
examples, it would seem that this tag, lah, has been employed by its speakers
more for its effectiveness in conveying a negative remark rather than a posi­
tive one.

The "ah" particle

Malaysian Chinese speakers, inevitably, seem to carry the ah particle more so

with them than other ethnic groups, in their verbal conversations. This is most
obvious on a telephone conversation when the ahs can range in meanings from
ah meaning "yes?", ah meaning "I agree", ah meaning "Yes, go on" to ah
which means "what?" Although there is no research to support my hypothesis
above, it is clear that such "ah-ragged" conversations can be understood by its
interactants. A single raised ah (aaa) would suggest a question while a sub­
dued ah (aaa) would be taken as an answer which means yes. Lee Su Kim
(March 5, 1996) suggests that the aaa she uses, which is equivalent to my ah
(I have put these two together in parenthesis to show that both mean the same
144 JURNAL BAHASA MODEN

thing) connotes specific meanings. She proposes that aaa (ah) has various
meanings attached to it, depending on how this particle is used. Lee (ibid.) lists
two meanings. The aoo (ah) tag can be used as a deliberate attempt to pro­
mote a softer and friendlier mood or it can be used as a sarcastic remark. How­
ever, for both to take effect, the user of the tag would need to impose a certain
amount of force on the tag. For the former meaning to occur, the ah (aaa) tag
would need to be said in a lighter vein while for the latter to be effective, the
user would need to raise the emphasis of the ah.

Nevertheless,from the data collected, analysis shows that there are more
than two functions which can be attached to the ah (aaa) particle.

Example I

M: Keep kei ni ah ?
(Translation: Keep for you, is it?)

The ahove example is a simple illustration of the ah tag used by M who

was speaking to her son in Mandarin. The ah used in example (I) shows that
the function of the tag is similar to the function of the "is it?" which is usually
tagged after a question. In comparison to Lee's (ibid.) version that suggests
friendliness or sarcasm which would require a raised or subdued pitch of the
ah, the example here depicts a simple raised ah which is just a question form.
Other examples of the ah functioning as question forms are as follow'

a. M: Jenny ah? (Is that Jenny?)

b. SH: Not free enough ah now?
c. PH. Ting cher pian ah ? (Stop here is it?)
d. M: Koong kerk ah (Homework is it?)

Also, the data analysed above shows that unlike the former lah tag, ah
can only be used at the end of the sentence to maintain its functions whether as
question forms or as the affirmative response.

Example 2:

SH: Wait ah.

 THE IMPLICATIONS OF LAH. AH. AND HAH AS USED BY SOME SPEAKERS 145

Besides functioning as a mechanism to create a friendly mood or acting

as an impetus to arouse questions, the ah tag can also be applied by its speak­
ers to portray other needs, depending on the speaker's intentions. Occasion­
ally, the ah tag can also perform the function of tum taking. The example
below illustrates how this is done whereby the marker, ah, acts as a continuer­
token (Drummonds, 1993).

Example (2) shows that whilst SH encourages his listener to wait through
the ah tag, he was also signalling to the other party to hold-on just a little while
as he recollects his thoughts. If need be, the other party may also seize this
opportune moment to continue the conversation. As the tag, ah, is spoken,
there will a very brief pause before the next speaker takes his cue.

Example 3:
M. Ni yau tau, ah? ( You bit it, is it?)
PH: Ah.

Example (3) illustrates the two functions of ah which I have described

above. The aiL used by M was intended to question PH while the ah used by
PH was a substituition for "yes". M's ah is naturally a raised one while PH's
ah is subdued, probably accompanied by a nodding of head.

Example 4:
M: Ah, ah. ..touchlah.

Example (4) above shows that the duplication of ah can be used to per­
form an admonishment. At the same time too, the reprimand becomes a little
more severe when M said "touch/ah" which further emphasises ber disapproval.
However, the duplication is not spoken together but distinctly on its own, one
at a time.

ExampleS'
SH: Mom, mom, ah, let's go Taman Jayalah

Example 6:
SH: No thanks, mom. Thanks mom. After I want t o
brush..... af ...afterward a h you, you time, you time the
timer, ah? Thanks mom.
146 JURNAL BAHASA MODEN

While example (5) and (6) contain ah tags which were used to perform
the role of gap filling, the tag of ah at the end of the statement in example (6)
serves the function of a question. This shows that even within a speech act, the
role of theah particle can be used in various ways to perform various functions
which include gap filling, thought recollecting as well as asking.

It has also been observed that between Malay interlocutors, the ah tag is
used to perform other needs which the interlocutors may desire such as the
following will demonstrate.

Example 7:

z. You ni kira business minded juga ah.

(Translation: You are quite business minded too, aren't you?)

The use of ah in example (7) illustrates the speaker's desire to confirm

her thoughts.

Example 8 .

z. Eh.. you buat 000 2 kan?

FM: Ah, ah!

Among the Malays, it is found that the duplication of ah tags signify

agreement. It performs the role of an acknowledgement token (Drummonds
1993) with the effect of "Yes, I agree with you." The pitch in the firstah would
be slightly raised while the second one would fall like the release of a full
balloon.

Example 9:

FM. Ah! Meals, baru habis meals. Next week, fourth week,
I'm doing that formal letter kan?

The above, example (9), shows thatah is used at the beginning of a state­
ment and it is employed by the speaker to demonstrate an acceptance or agree­
ment which has an effect similar to Drummond's discourse marker of "yeah"
The initial ah used in example (9) also indicates the speaker's desire to con­
tinue the conversation. The wayah in this example is produced, is similar to
 THE IMPLICATIONS OF LAH. AH. AND HAH AS USED BY SOME SPEAKERS 147

the release of air in a balloon - gradual and gentle, and it may be accompa­
nied by a nod or few nods of the head.

Example 10:

L Ah ... about your future, Bob.

.

This example demonstrates that the initial ah is being used as an excla­

mation, similar to the "Oh" Even though the tag is placed at the beginning of
the statement, it was meant as a topic opener, giving the speaker some time to
gather his thoughts before commencing the conversation.

Example II:

Z: Eh, Ustaz Ghani Shamsudin kan?

( Translation. Heh, it's Ustaz Shamsudin, isn't it?)
F: Ah.

The function of the initial ah marker used by F in Example II is to

display agreement which is "yes" in this case.

Example 12:

SH: I go in, I wash my hair, I come out.

M. You go in?
SH: I wen. No, I ..s ..I mean here ..
M: Ah....

The use of ah as used by M in example (12) illustrates the speaker's

intention of showing that she knows exactly what SH was doing. Although it
appears to resemble an agreement, nevertheless, there is some sarcasm attached
to it, especially when there is a knowing nod from the speaker concerned. It
may also be used to end a conversation. This type of ah is said in the normal
manner but it may also be intentionally lowered and slightly dragged for em­
phasis probably accompanied by wide-open eyes which may also function as a
mechanism to encourage the speaker to say more.
148 JURNAL BAHASA MODEN

The "hah" particle

Besides the two tags of lah and ah mentioned above, another common Malay­
sian tag often employed by its speakers is the hah marker. Unlike the lah and
ah markers which may be used in myriad ways to convey different intentions,
motives and moods of the speakers, my study was not able to place the hah
marker under many functions. The following analysis seems to show that the
hah marker is mainly employed to illustrate two main functions, whether used
by the Chinese or Malay interlocutors.

A. "hah" functioning as a form of agreement.

Example 1·

M: Keep kei ni ah?

(Translation: Keep for you?)
PH: Hah.
M. Keep se mok kei ni?
(Translation. Keep what for you?)
PH. Hah, ta sou kei woh.
(Translation: Yes, she kept it for me.)

Example 2:

SH. . . .Jeanie?
M: Hah, Jeanie

Example 3:

B: Secara tidak langsung?

(Translation: Indirectly?)
I. Hah, secara tidak langsung.
(Translation: Yes, indirectly.)

Example 4:

D: Sebab apa nak oksigen banyak?

(Translation: Why do we need so much oxygen?)
 THE IMPLICATIONS OF LAH, AH. AND HAH AS USED BY SOME SPEAKERS 149

Sebab proses appresiasi pokok,

(Translation: Because of the plant prosess.)
S: Hah! Itulah lebih kurangnya.
(Translation: Yes, that's more like il.)

In all the four examples above, it appears that using the hah particle only
enables the speaker to perform one sole intention which is to show agreement.

B: "hah" functioning as a question to probe further

Example 5:

SH: I don't know, I. ..

M: She said she'll pay you ...?
SH: I a ..asked her..
M: Hah.. ...
SH: ....But you buy first lah, manila card.

Example 6:

M: You did? What did you read?

How long did you read?
SH: (coughs)
M: Hah?

Examples (5) and (6) provide us with the insight of how the hah particle
can be monopolised to function as a question which can be used to probe
further into a subject which was not clearly stated. The hah particle shown in
these two examples also seem to carry a tinge of sarcasm which implies disbe­
lief. However, since M is also the mother, a person of authority, the finding
above is only indicative that the particle, hah, when used by a person of au­
thority such as a mother, functions as a mechanism device to question, or to
probe further.

Conclusion

Findings of the above study indicates that some Malaysian speakers employ
the use of certain discourse markers such as lah, ah and hah in their daily
150 JURNAL BAHASA MODEN

conversations to perform specific intentions. It seems that these markers may

appear in the beginning, middle or end of an utterance. Wherever their posi­
tions may be, these particles do bear significant implications which may range
from being posItive, showing agreement, approval, stressing emphasis to ques­
tioning, continuing, recollecting trains of thoughts to being negative such as in
showing sarcasm, and as a means of interrogating a person of lower authority
Analysis of the data collected shows that the various tags are used for different
purposes. Hence, these tags can and should be considered as useful as well as
being powerful speaking 'tools' or 'aids' which can be aptly and amply utilised
by local English speakers in their daily conversations. As the findings in the
above data have shown, Chinese and Malay speakers do not withhold from
using discourse markers or tags like the lah, ah, and hah in their daily interac­
tions simply because these tags carry various functions which may meet the
intentions of the speakers. While speakers must invariably be adept at know­
ing when to raise and when to down play the tones of these markers or tags, it
is comforting to know that these discourse markers, or particles can be used
in myriad ways to relay our real intentions without fear of being too direct,
too brusque, too intimidating or too aggressive. Speakers of other cultures
may dismiss the use of these discourse markers or particles as being ungram­
matical, and 'polluted' by its LI, nevertheless, it cannot be denied that they
are useful devices which help to display moods and emotions of the speaker in
an appropriate manner, thereby, avoiding the conflictual siluations much
frowned upon by Malaysians. My findings suggest that these tags, while em­
ployed as a tool or aid for performing functions, are similar to Schiffrin's
(1987a) useful discourse markers which link thoughts and strike "a balance
between the need to attend to one's interlocutors' needs for appreciation with
the desire to provide information that may conflict with their expectations"

The current focus on Malaysian English (ME) is an important milestone.

Not only should there be more investigations dealing with the percularities of
ME, there should also be a certain amount of understanding attached to these
percularities as there is so much underlying messages being communicated by
 THE IMPLICATIONS OF LAH, AH, AND HAH AS USED BY SOME SPEAKERS 151

these discourse markers. With that illumination in sight, there will then, per­
haps, be less misunderstanding and more respect for Malaysian English as she
is spoken.
152 IURNAL BAHASA MODEN

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