localize-ms

Localize: Malaysian / Malay (ms → Bahasa Melayu)

You are translating source text into Malaysian / Malay for Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore Malay-speaking audiences. This skill captures grammar, register, UI conventions, formatting, and Malaysian-specific failure modes — with critical disambiguation from its sister language Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia / id).

Scope & Variants

Primary standards:

• ms-MY — Bahasa Melayu / Bahasa Malaysia as used in Malaysia. Official language of Malaysia.
• ms-BN — Malay as used in Brunei. Closely follows Malaysian standard with minor differences.
• ms-SG — Malay as a co-official language of Singapore. Also closely follows Malaysian standard.

For UI, write standard Malaysian (bahasa baku) which works for all three audiences.

Native names:

• Bahasa Melayu — the language (older / general / pan-Malay name)
• Bahasa Malaysia — the language as defined by Malaysia (post-1969, emphasizes national identity)

In modern Malaysian usage, both terms are interchangeable in practice. Government documents prefer "Bahasa Malaysia"; linguistic / regional contexts prefer "Bahasa Melayu".

Identity Guardrail — NOT Indonesian (CRITICAL)

Malaysian (ms) and Indonesian (id) are sister languages with ~85% lexical overlap but distinct standards. They are mutually intelligible to a degree but have systematically different vocabulary in tech, UI, and modern domains because they were standardized separately:

• Malaysian — heavy Arabic / Islamic and English influence; less Dutch influence.
• Indonesian — heavy Dutch colonial influence (kantor, sepatu, jendela), plus Javanese, Sanskrit, Arabic.

Mixing the two is a quality failure, especially in tech UI. NEVER translate Malaysian content via Indonesian intermediaries or vice versa.

Tech Vocabulary Disambiguation Table (the most important table in this skill)

English	Malaysian (USE)	Indonesian (DO NOT USE for Malaysian)
Upload	muat naik	unggah
Download	muat turun	unduh
Settings	tetapan	pengaturan / setelan
Update	kemas kini	perbarui
Window	tetingkap	jendela
Message	mesej	pesan
Delete	padam	hapus
Paste	tampal	tempel
File	fail	file / berkas
Browse (files)	semak imbas	jelajahi / telusuri
Browse (web)	melayari (web-surf only — NOT files)	(different word)
Office	pejabat	kantor (Indonesian — in Malaysian "kantor" is rare/foreign)
Pharmacy	farmasi	apotek
Cinema	pawagam	bioskop
Hospital	hospital	rumah sakit
Money	wang / duit	uang
Car	kereta	mobil
Train	keretapi	kereta api (Indonesian, with space)
Police	polis	polisi (Indonesian)
Can / able	boleh	bisa (Indonesian — DANGEROUS in Malaysian: see false friends)

File Browse vs Web Surf — A Critical Malaysian Distinction (severity 1.5)

Malaysian has TWO distinct words for English "browse":

Context	Word	Example
File browsing (file picker, upload dialog)	semak imbas	"Klik untuk semak imbas fail" (Click to browse files)
Web browsing (surfing the internet)	melayari	"Melayari internet" (browsing the internet); "pelayar web" (web browser)

• ❌ "Klik untuk melayari" (in file-upload context) — means "click to surf the web"
• ✅ "Klik untuk semak imbas" (correct file context)
• ❌ "Semak imbas internet" — wrong
• ✅ "Melayari internet" (correct web context)

This distinction does NOT exist in Indonesian (which uses jelajahi/telusuri for both). Malaysian translators get this wrong constantly.

DANGEROUS False Friends with Indonesian (severity 2.5)

These words exist in BOTH languages but mean different things. Using the Indonesian sense in Malaysian text is a serious error.

Word	Malaysian meaning	Indonesian meaning	What to use in Malaysian
butuh	VULGAR (genitalia)	need (standard verb)	Use perlu instead
pusing	to spin / turn around	dizzy / headache	For "dizzy" use pening
punggung	buttocks	back (body part)	For "back" use belakang
sulit	confidential / secret	difficult	For "difficult" use susah / sukar
kereta	car (everyday)	train (short for "kereta api")	"kereta" = car in Malaysian
comel	cute (common)	(rare; sometimes pretty)	OK to use
abang	older brother / boyfriend	older brother	Context-dependent
buncit	(round/pot-bellied)	(round/pot-bellied)	mostly same
kacau	disturb / mess up	confusing / mixed up	mostly same

Critical takeaway: NEVER use butuh in Malaysian text — it's vulgar. Use perlu (need) or memerlukan (to need).

Day Names — DIFFER from Indonesian

Day	Malaysian	Indonesian
Monday	Isnin	Senin
Tuesday	Selasa	Selasa (same)
Wednesday	Rabu	Rabu (same)
Thursday	Khamis	Kamis
Friday	Jumaat	Jumat
Saturday	Sabtu	Sabtu (same)
Sunday	Ahad	Minggu (Indonesian — in Malaysian "Minggu" means "week", NEVER "Sunday")

Minggu in Malaysian = week only. Ahad = Sunday. Confusing them is a quality failure.

Times of Day — 3 periods (NOT 4 like Indonesian)

Period	Malaysian	Approximate time	Greeting
Morning	pagi	04:00–12:00	Selamat pagi
Afternoon / Evening	petang	12:00–19:00	Selamat petang
Night	malam	19:00–04:00	Selamat malam

(Indonesian uses 4: pagi / siang / sore / malam. Malaysian does NOT use "siang" or "sore" in formal time-of-day distinction; "petang" covers both.)

Number Format — Anglo / English-influenced

• Decimal separator: period (3**.**14)
• Thousands separator: comma (1**,000,**000)
• Format: 1,234,567.89
• ❌ 3,14 (European) → ✅ 3.14
• ❌ 1.000.000 (Indonesian) → ✅ 1,000,000
• This is the OPPOSITE of Indonesian.

Currency: MYR Ringgit

• Malaysia uses the ringgit (RM / MYR). NOT Indonesian rupiah.
• Format: RM 1,000 or RM1,000 or RM 1,234.56 (comma thousands, period decimal)
• Subdivision: 100 sen (rarely shown in everyday UI for amounts ≥ RM 1)
• ❌ Rp 1.000.000 (Indonesian) → ✅ RM ... (different currency entirely)
• ❌ RM 1.000,00 (Indonesian format) → ✅ RM 1,000.00

Brunei: BND (Brunei dollar, B$ or BND); equivalent to SGD 1:1 by peg. Singapore Malay: SGD (S$). When translating for Brunei or Singapore audiences, adjust currency accordingly.

Register

Default level: FORMAL (Anda) for software UI, errors, documentation, marketing.

Level	Pronoun	Use case
Formal	Anda (capitalized)	Business UI, professional software, customer-facing
Standard polite	awak	General polite peer-level usage
Familiar	kamu	Casual, friends, peers
Honorifics	Tuan (Mr/Sir), Puan (Mrs/Madam), Encik (Mr), Cik (Miss / unmarried)	Direct address with name
Very formal	Datuk (titled), Datin (wife of Datuk), Dato', Tan Sri, Tun	Royal/honorific titles

Politeness marker: Sila (please) — used frequently for polite requests.

• "Sila tunggu" (Please wait)
• "Sila masukkan kata laluan" (Please enter the password)
• "Sila klik di sini" (Please click here)

Rules:

• Choose ONE pronoun level per file.
• Do NOT mix BM (Bahasa Melayu) with BI (Bahasa Inggeris / English) or with Indonesian within the same sentence.
• Use Sila liberally for polite UI requests.

Examples:

• ❌ "Anda nak delete tak?" (formal Anda + colloquial nak + English delete + colloquial tak) → ✅ "Adakah anda ingin memadam fail ini?"
• ❌ "kamu boleh + Sila anda" (mixed pronouns) → ✅ "Sila masukkan kata laluan anda"

Formal vs Colloquial Vocabulary (severity 1.5)

Professional UI must use bahasa baku (standard formal Malay):

Colloquial (AVOID)	Formal (USE)	Meaning
tak	tidak	not
nak	hendak / mahu	want
je / jer	sahaja	only
dah	sudah	already
kat	di / pada	at
ni / tu	ini / itu	this / that
sikit	sedikit	a little
macam	seperti	like / similar to
sebab	kerana	because
camne / macam mana	bagaimana	how
dapat	memperoleh / mendapat	get / obtain (context)
boleh tak	bolehkah	can (you)?

Critical Hard Rules

Affix System: me- / di- / ber- / -kan / -i (severity 2.0)

Malaysian grammar runs on affixation — same system as Indonesian:

Affix	Function	Example
me-	active transitive verb	menulis (write), membaca (read), mengirim (send)
di-	passive	ditulis (was written), dibaca (was read)
ber-	intransitive / stative	berlari (run), berdiri (stand)
ke-	nominal	kebersihan (cleanliness)
pe-	agent noun	penulis (writer)
-kan	transitive / causative	menggunakan (use, with object)
-i	intensive / locative	memenuhi (fulfill)
-an	abstract noun	bulanan (monthly), tulisan (writing)

Nasal Assimilation with me- (severity 1.5)

The me- prefix changes form based on the initial consonant of the root:

Root consonant	Becomes	Example
p, b, f	mem-	padam → memadam (delete)
t, d	men-	tulis → menulis (write)
k, g, h	meng-	kemas → mengemas (tidy), guna → mengguna (use)
s	meny-	simpan → menyimpan (save)
vowels	meng-	ambil → mengambil (take)
l, m, n, r, w, y, ng, ny	me- (no change)	larang → melarang (forbid)

Common errors:

• ❌ mepadam → ✅ memadam (p → m)
• ❌ metulis → ✅ menulis (t → n)
• ❌ mekemas → ✅ mengemas (k → ng)
• ❌ mesimpan → ✅ menyimpan (s → ny)

Transitive -kan Suffix (severity 2.0)

Verbs with direct objects, or in imperative/suggestion contexts, MUST use the -kan suffix.

Wrong	Correct
Pertimbang untuk membetulkan	Pertimbangkan untuk membetulkan
Guna pemboleh ubah	Gunakan pemboleh ubah
Tambah kandungan	Tambahkan kandungan

"untuk" + Verb Requires me- Prefix (severity 2.0)

When untuk (to / in order to) introduces a verb phrase, the verb MUST be in the me- prefixed form.

Wrong	Correct
untuk muat naik	untuk memuat naik
untuk edit dokumen	untuk mengedit dokumen
untuk tukar format	untuk menukar format

Note: muat naik (upload) takes me- → memuat naik. The compound stays intact; only the first verb takes the prefix.

Reduplication for Plurality (severity 2.0)

Malaysian has no grammatical number marker. Plural is marked by reduplication — but ONLY when no number is present.

Context	Form	Example
Plural, no number	reduplication	"Upload Files" → "Muat naik fail-fail"
Plural, no number	reduplication	"View books" → "Lihat buku-buku"
With number	NO reduplication	"5 files" → "5 fail" (NOT "5 fail-fail")
ICU with #	NO reduplication	{count, plural, other {# fail}}

ICU pattern (Malaysian has only other effectively):

{count, plural,
  other {# fail}
}

Adverb Placement — After the Verb (severity 1.5)

Manner adverbs (secara X / dengan X) follow the main verb:

Wrong (adverb before verb)	Correct (adverb after verb)
akan secara automatik mengesan	akan mengesan secara automatik
secara automatik akan mengesan	akan mengesan secara automatik

UI Conventions

Button Labels — Short Imperative

English	Malaysian	NOT (Indonesian)
Save	Simpan	(same)
Delete	Padam	Hapus
Cancel	Batal	(same)
Submit	Hantar	Kirim
Upload	Muat naik	Unggah
Download	Muat turun	Unduh
Search	Cari	(same)
Edit	Edit / Sunting
Copy	Salin	(same)
Paste	Tampal	Tempel
Close	Tutup	(same)
Open	Buka	(same)
Browse (files)	Semak imbas	Jelajahi / Telusuri
OK / Confirm	OK / Sahkan

❌ "Menyimpan" (progressive form, not imperative) on a button → ✅ "Simpan" ❌ "Penyimpanan" (nominalization) on a button → ✅ "Simpan"

Status Messages — Impersonal Progressive

Use me- prefix or sedang + verb for ongoing status:

Wrong (first person)	Correct (impersonal)
Saya sedang memuatkan...	Memuatkan... / Sedang memuatkan...
Kami menyimpan...	Menyimpan...

Drag-and-Drop Vocabulary

• seret = drag (same as Indonesian — one of the few shared tech terms)
• lepas / lepaskan = drop / release
• ❌ "drag" / "drop" (English) — wrong

✅ Seret fail ke sini                       (drag files here)
✅ Seret dan lepas fail ke sini             (drag and drop files here)
✅ Lepaskan untuk memuat naik               (release to upload)
❌ Drag fail ke sini
❌ Release untuk muat naik

Error Messages — Polite, Direct

• ❌ "Anda salah" (you are wrong — too direct)
• ✅ "Maaf, terdapat ralat" (Sorry, there is an error — polite)
• ✅ "Fail tidak dapat disimpan" (File cannot be saved — direct predicate)
• ✅ "Sila cuba sekali lagi" (Please try again)

Malaysian culture values harmony and indirect communication. Add Sila (please) and Maaf (sorry) liberally in error/instruction text.

Redundant Word Patterns

Wrong (calque)	Correct
sekurang-kurangnya {min} aksara panjang	sekurang-kurangnya {min} aksara
5 minit panjang	5 minit

panjang (long) is implicit in length/duration — don't translate it literally from English.

Punctuation, Numbers, Dates, Currency

Quotation Marks

• Standard double quotes "..." — most common
• Single quotes '...' for nested

Numbers (Anglo format — opposite of Indonesian)

• Decimal separator: period (3.14)
• Thousands separator: comma (1,000,000)
• Format: 1,234,567.89
• ❌ 3,14 → ✅ 3.14
• ❌ 1.000.000 → ✅ 1,000,000

Dates — DD/MM/YYYY

• Numeric: 15/01/2024
• Word form: 15 Januari 2024 or 15hb Januari 2024 (hb = haribulan = "day-of-month", optional)
• Long form: Isnin, 15 Januari 2024

Malaysian months (capitalized): Januari, Februari, Mac, April, Mei, Jun, Julai, Ogos, September, Oktober, November, Disember.

Note month spelling differences from Indonesian:

Month	Malaysian	Indonesian
March	Mac	Maret
June	Jun	Juni
July	Julai	Juli
August	Ogos	Agustus
December	Disember	Desember

Time

• 24-hour: 14:30
• 12-hour common in spoken: 2:30 petang (2:30 PM in afternoon period)
• AM/PM equivalents: pagi (AM), petang (PM afternoon), malam (PM night)

Currency: MYR Ringgit

• Format: RM 1,000 or RM1,000 or RM 1,234.56
• ❌ Rp ... → ✅ RM ...

Comma Rules

NO comma before coordinating conjunctions (atau, dan):

• ❌ "Seret fail ke sini, atau klik untuk semak imbas" → ✅ "Seret fail ke sini atau klik untuk semak imbas"

COMMA before subordinating conjunctions:

• tetapi / namun (but): "Mudah, tetapi berkesan"
• yang (which / that): "Fail yang anda pilih"
• jika (if): "Klik di sini, jika anda ingin meneruskan"
• kerana (because): "Tidak berfungsi, kerana fail tidak dijumpai"
• apabila (when): "Tunggu, apabila proses selesai"
• supaya / agar (so that): "Simpan, supaya perubahan tersimpan"

Terminology Quick Reference

English	Malaysian	NOT (Indonesian)
Save	Simpan	(same)
Delete	Padam	Hapus
Cancel	Batal	(same)
Submit	Hantar	Kirim
Upload	Muat naik	Unggah
Download	Muat turun	Unduh
Settings	Tetapan	Pengaturan
Update	Kemas kini	Perbarui
Search	Cari	(same)
Edit	Edit / Sunting	(same)
Copy	Salin	(same)
Paste	Tampal	Tempel
Close	Tutup	(same)
Open	Buka	(same)
Browse (files)	Semak imbas	Jelajahi
Browse (web)	Melayari	(different word — Indonesian uses same melayari/menjelajah)
File	Fail	File / Berkas
Folder	Folder / Direktori	(same)
Window	Tetingkap	Jendela
Message	Mesej	Pesan
User	Pengguna	(same)
Password	Kata laluan	Kata sandi / Password
Username	Nama pengguna	(same)
Log in	Log masuk	Masuk / Login
Log out	Log keluar	Keluar / Logout
Dashboard	Papan pemuka	Dasbor / Dashboard
Account	Akaun	Akun
Email	E-mel	Email / Surel
Click	Klik	(same)
Loading	Memuatkan	Memuat

Proper noun abbreviations in UI:

• ✅ AS / Amerika Syarikat (NOT "Amerika Serikat" — that's Indonesian spelling!)
• ✅ UK / Britain (NOT the full official name)
• ✅ EU for European Union (or "Kesatuan Eropah")
• ✅ PBB for UN (Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu)

Country names: Many differ from Indonesian:

Country	Malaysian	Indonesian
USA	Amerika Syarikat / AS	Amerika Serikat / AS
UK	United Kingdom / Britain / UK	Inggris / Britania Raya
Japan	Jepun	Jepang
China	China / Tiongkok	Tiongkok / Cina
Korea	Korea	(same)
Russia	Rusia	(same)
Germany	Jerman	(same)
France	Perancis	Prancis

Brand names stay in original form. Technical terms (API, URL, token) acceptable as-is.

Calque / Anti-Pattern Blocklist

Wrong (calque)	Correct (idiomatic)	Source
Ia masuk akal (literal)	Ia logik / Ia boleh difahami	"it makes sense"
Di penghujung hari	Akhirnya / Kesimpulannya	"at the end of the day"
Tidak benar-benar	Sebenarnya tidak / Tidak juga	"not really"
Mengambil rehat	Berehat	"take a break"
Patahkan kaki	Semoga berjaya! / Selamat maju jaya!	"break a leg"
Sekeping kek	Senang macam ABC / Mudah sahaja	"piece of cake"
Bila babi terbang	Bila kera pandai menari	"when pigs fly" (Malay equivalent uses monkey)
pengguna-mesra	mesra pengguna	"user-friendly" (head-modifier order)
multi-fungsi	pelbagai fungsi	"multi-functional"
panjang-jangka	jangka panjang	"long-term"
AI-dipacu	berasaskan AI / dikuasakan AI	"AI-powered"

Cultural Sensitivity

Malaysia is a multiracial, multireligious society — Malay (majority, Muslim), Chinese, Indian, indigenous (Orang Asli, Iban, Kadazan, etc.) with strong Islamic constitutional position alongside official multireligious recognition.

• Use inclusive language that doesn't exclude non-Malay Malaysians
• Be respectful of Islamic values (Malaysia's official religion) without alienating non-Muslims
• Avoid pork/alcohol/gambling imagery in mass-market UI
• Halal certification awareness in food/health domains
• Royalty (Sultans, Agong) — show respect in any reference; never irreverent
• Friday is a special day (Jumaat) — Muslim Friday prayers; avoid scheduling implying everyone works through it
• Ramadan / Hari Raya Aidilfitri / Aidiladha — important cultural moments to acknowledge in marketing

Self-Check Checklist

Run BEFORE finalizing each translation:

Identity (CRITICAL):

• Malaysian vocabulary, NOT Indonesian: muat naik/muat turun/tetapan/kemas kini/tetingkap/mesej/padam/tampal/fail/semak imbas
• No DANGEROUS false friends from Indonesian: never use "butuh" (vulgar in MS — use perlu), "pusing" (means spin not dizzy — use pening), "punggung" (buttocks — use belakang for body-back), "sulit" (confidential not difficult — use susah for difficult)
• Number format Anglo: 1,234.56 (comma thousands, period decimal) — NOT 1.234,56 Indonesian
• Currency RM (Ringgit), NOT Rp (Rupiah is Indonesian)
• Day names Malaysian: Isnin/Khamis/Jumaat/Ahad (NOT Senin/Kamis/Jumat/Minggu)
• Minggu = week (NOT Sunday) — Sunday is Ahad
• Month spelling Malaysian: Mac (not Maret), Jun (not Juni), Julai (not Juli), Ogos (not Agustus), Disember (not Desember)
• Times of day 3 periods: pagi/petang/malam (NOT 4 periods like Indonesian)
• Country names Malaysian: Amerika Syarikat (NOT Amerika Serikat), Jepun (NOT Jepang)
• "semak imbas" for file browsing — NEVER "melayari" (which means web-surf)

Accuracy:

• me- prefix used for active verbs (menulis, mengemas)
• Nasal assimilation correct (p→m, t→n, k→ng, s→ny)
• -kan suffix for transitive verbs (Pertimbangkan, Gunakan, Tambahkan)
• me- prefix after "untuk" (untuk memuat naik, NOT untuk muat naik)
• Reduplication for plural without numbers (fail-fail)
• NO reduplication with numbers (5 fail, NOT 5 fail-fail)
• Adverb after verb (mengesan secara automatik, NOT secara automatik mengesan)
• Conjunction commas: no comma before atau/dan; comma before yang/jika/kerana/apabila
• Placeholders preserved exactly

Naturalness:

• Anda/awak consistency — same level throughout
• Formal vocabulary: tidak (not tak), hendak/mahu (not nak), sahaja (not je), sudah (not dah), di/pada (not kat)
• Buttons concise (Simpan, Padam, Batal)
• Status impersonal (Memuatkan..., NOT Saya sedang memuatkan)
• Drag-and-drop: seret, lepas (NOT drag, drop)
• Error messages polite with Sila and Maaf where appropriate
• No mixing BM with English or Indonesian in same sentence
• Complete or-clauses (atau klik untuk semak imbas — full)
• Islamic/multiracial sensitivity — avoid pork/alcohol/gambling in mass-market
• Sila used appropriately for polite requests
• Compound adjective head-modifier order (mesra pengguna, NOT pengguna-mesra)
• No redundant "panjang" (aksara, NOT aksara panjang)

Worked Examples

Example 1 — Save button + status

Source:

Save
Saving your changes...
Changes saved.

Wrong (Indonesian terms + first person):

Simpan / Saya sedang menyimpan perubahan / Perubahan tersimpan

Correct (Malaysian):

Simpan
Menyimpan perubahan... (impersonal, me- prefix)
Perubahan telah disimpan. (di- passive — completion; telah = already/completed)

Example 2 — Plural reduplication

Source:

Upload Files / 5 files uploaded

Correct:

Muat naik fail-fail (reduplication for plural without number)
5 fail dimuat naik (NO reduplication with number)

Example 3 — File browse (the Malaysian-specific trap)

Source:

Click here to browse files

Wrong (uses web-surf word):

Klik di sini untuk melayari fail (melayari = web-surf, not file-browse!)

Correct:

Klik di sini untuk semak imbas fail (semak imbas = file-browse)

Example 4 — "untuk" + verb (me- mandatory)

Source:

Click to upload / Click to edit / Click to change format

Wrong:

Klik untuk muat naik / Klik untuk edit / Klik untuk tukar format

Correct:

Klik untuk memuat naik / Klik untuk mengedit / Klik untuk menukar format

Example 5 — Drag-and-drop with file (Malaysian)

Source:

Drag and drop files here, or click to browse

Wrong (Indonesian terms):

Seret dan lepas file ke sini atau klik untuk menjelajahi

Correct (Malaysian):

Seret dan lepas fail ke sini atau klik untuk semak imbas (no comma before atau)

Example 6 — Number/currency disambiguation

Source:

Total: $1,234.56

Wrong (Indonesian format):

Jumlah: RM 1.234,56 (Indonesian number format with Malaysian currency — broken)

Correct (Malaysian format + currency):

Jumlah: RM 5,250.00 (or whatever MYR equivalent — comma thousands, period decimal)

Example 7 — Day name + date

Source:

Monday, January 15, 2024

Wrong (Indonesian day name):

Senin, 15 Januari 2024

Correct (Malaysian):

Isnin, 15 Januari 2024

Example 8 — Country name

Source:

United States of America / Japan / December

Wrong (Indonesian spellings):

Amerika Serikat / Jepang / Desember

Correct (Malaysian):

Amerika Syarikat (or AS) / Jepun / Disember

Example 9 — DANGEROUS false friend

Source:

"I need this file."

Wrong (Indonesian butuh — VULGAR in Malaysian):

Saya butuh fail ini.

Correct (Malaysian):

Saya perlu fail ini. / Saya memerlukan fail ini.

Example 10 — Polite request with Sila

Source:

Please enter your password.

Wrong (no politeness marker):

Masukkan kata laluan anda.

Correct (with Sila):

Sila masukkan kata laluan anda.

Example 11 — Formal vs colloquial

Source:

Are you sure you want to delete this file?

Wrong (colloquial mix):

Anda nak padam fail ni tak? (formal Anda + colloquial nak + colloquial ni + colloquial tak)

Correct (formal):

Adakah anda pasti ingin memadam fail ini?

Example 12 — Transitive -kan

Source:

Consider improving this / Use this variable / Add content

Correct (Malaysian):

Pertimbangkan untuk membetulkan / Gunakan pemboleh ubah / Tambahkan kandungan

When in Doubt

1. Malaysian or Indonesian word? Check the disambiguation table. Malaysian: muat naik / muat turun / tetapan / kemas kini / tetingkap / mesej / padam / tampal / fail / semak imbas.
2. Browse — files or web? Files → semak imbas. Web → melayari. Never confuse them.
3. Number format? Comma thousands, period decimal (1,234.56). Anglo-style. OPPOSITE of Indonesian.
4. Currency? RM (Ringgit), NEVER Rp (Rupiah). Format: RM 1,000.00.
5. Day of week? Use Malaysian forms: Isnin / Selasa / Rabu / Khamis / Jumaat / Sabtu / Ahad. Remember: Minggu = week, NOT Sunday.
6. Month? Watch the spelling: Mac/Jun/Julai/Ogos/Disember (Malaysian) vs Maret/Juni/Juli/Agustus/Desember (Indonesian).
7. DANGER words from Indonesian? Avoid butuh (vulgar in MS — use perlu). Avoid pusing for "dizzy" (means spin — use pening). Avoid punggung for "back" (means buttocks — use belakang). Avoid sulit for "difficult" (means confidential — use susah).
8. me- prefix form? Same as Indonesian: p/b/f → mem-, t/d → men-, k/g/h → meng-, s → meny-, vowels → meng-, others → me-.
9. boleh or bisa? Malaysian uses boleh for "can/able". Do NOT use bisa in Malaysian — in Malay it means "poison/venom" and is misleading.
10. Plural? With number → no reduplication. Without number → reduplication. ICU other → no reduplication.
11. untuk + verb? Always with me- prefix.
12. Formal or informal? Default Anda for product UI; awak for peer-level; use Sila for politeness liberally.
13. Country name? Malaysian spellings differ: Amerika Syarikat (not Serikat), Jepun (not Jepang), Disember (not Desember).
14. Brand vs translated tech term? Brand names stay. Tech terms (API, URL) acceptable as-is but consistent.

Malaysian's challenge isn't grammar — it's avoiding vocabulary slippage from Indonesian and avoiding the file-browse / web-surf confusion. When the translation feels off, check the disambiguation table first, then the false-friend list.