The controversial use of English by Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

What is it about?

In this article we analyse the use of English in presidential speeches of Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY). Despite criticisms from within Indonesia for overusing English, SBY continued switching into English during presidential speeches to Indonesian audiences. We find this practice was not random, but depended on his audience and contextual setting. Embedding English in presidential speech was found to be a deliberate strategy that SBY used selectively to enhance his credibility and authority.

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Why is it important?

In this article, we note an ambivalence towards the use of English language in Indonesia, where its use may be controversial. Our findings show how English is also perceived as prestigious and how it is leveraged by leaders for political advantage. This adds to what is known about political discourse in Indonesia and how the selective use of English to engage Indonesian audiences can be seen as a strategic advantage by political leaders.