Translation · Malay
Malay translation services
Audiovisual translation is our specialisation, but our native Malay translators also translate any text — corporate documents, technical and marketing material, articles and eLearning. Malay has its own standard and its own authority, and it is not Indonesian with the edges filed off.
EN · 00:04
The office is closed.
MS · 00:04
Pejabat ditutup.
About Malay translation
Malay translation written to the Malaysian standard, not adapted from Indonesian
Malay and Indonesian are close enough that reusing one for the other looks like a saving. They are governed by two separate language authorities — Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka in Malaysia and Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa in Indonesia — which coordinate but do not merge.
The differences sit in everyday vocabulary, which is exactly where a reader notices them: pejabat against kantor for office, ais against es for ice, Mac against Maret for March. Material adapted from Indonesian does not read as a different dialect. It reads as written for somewhere else.
At GoLocalise, we work with native Malay translators matched to the subject matter, and every text is reviewed by a second linguist before delivery.
How can we help you?
Your project manager has everything covered
One point of contact from brief to delivery, and a second linguist on every text before it reaches you.
Brief review
We review your source material and your audience, and agree up front the decisions this language forces before anyone starts translating.
Linguist assignment
Your project goes to a native Malay translator with experience in the relevant field.
Translation and review
The text is translated and then checked by a second native linguist for accuracy, consistency, and register.
Delivery and consistency check
Files are delivered in the format you need, with the choices agreed at the brief applied consistently from the first line to the last.
Regional varieties
Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
Standard Malay is official in Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore, and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka is the authority that sets it. For most commercial material one Malay version serves all three.
What does not serve them is Indonesian. If your project covers both Malaysia and Indonesia, we treat them as two jobs rather than one file with a find and replace, because the vocabulary that differs is the vocabulary people use every day.
Areas of expertise
What we specialise in
From corporate video and eLearning to documentary, advertising and subtitles — always audiovisual, written to Malaysian usage rather than adapted from Indonesian.
Corporate and brand video
Company films and internal communications, written to fit the shot rather than overflow it.
eLearning and training video
Course modules and training films, with terminology kept consistent across the programme.
Documentary and interviews
Factual programming and interviews, where the register shifts between speakers and has to survive the move.
Advertising and social video
Campaigns and short-form video, cut to land inside the time available.
Subtitles and captions
Frame-accurate subtitles kept within a comfortable reading speed.
Voice over and dubbing scripts
Scripts timed to the original, ready for a native voice in the booth.
Built for video and audio
Getting Malay right on screen
Malay brings its own on-screen considerations, and the closest trap is the one that looks like a shortcut.
Not an Indonesian file with edits
Translation memories and machine output trained on Indonesian will pass a spellcheck and still read wrong. Malay material is written as Malay from the start.
Everyday words are the tell
The vocabulary that differs is the vocabulary that appears most: office, ice, the names of the months. A Malaysian viewer spots it in the first subtitle.
One version for three markets
Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore share the standard, so one Malay version normally serves all three without a separate pass.
Timed, not dumped
We deliver spotted subtitle files and two-column voice-over scripts timed to the original — never a loose document that still needs spotting.
Deliverables
How your Malay translation arrives
Subtitle files
SRT, VTT, STL or TTML, burnt in or as separate files, ready to drop into your edit.
Written as Malay, not converted
The file is produced against Malaysian usage from the first line, instead of being adapted from an Indonesian version afterwards.
Dual-column scripts
Source and target side by side with timecodes, the format the studio records from.
Reviewed, never single-pass
Every script is checked by a second native linguist before it reaches the studio.
Translation rates
Professional Malay translation
For internal documents, correspondence and material where accuracy is the main requirement.
- Native subject-matter translator
- Second-linguist review
- Subtitle files or a timed script
For marketing, eLearning and technical content, with review, terminology management and layout adjustment.
- Everything in Standard
- Terminology management
- Layout and expansion handled
- Dedicated project manager
Every project is quoted individually and backed by our Price Match Promise. Send us your files for an exact, no-obligation quote.
Trusted by global brands
We have used GoLocalise on a regular basis for projects in a number of languages. The service we receive is great. The team is always friendly and professional. The voiceovers we receive are of a very high quality and the turnaround is extremely quick. We are very happy to recommend GoLocalise to other businesses.
It was a pleasure to work with David and the team at GoLocalise. David gave me lots of help and advice, guiding me through my first subtitling project. He really knows his stuff! The experience was completely pain-free. I would not hesitate to recommend GoLocalise – outstanding work at a good price.
They're reliable, adaptive and obsessed with quality. And while you can never be 100% guaranteed of perfection, you can be sure GoLocalise will go the extra mile to get it right every time. We've worked with them now for over 5 years and we are truly thankful to have such a strong localisation partner for our business.
Related services
The rest of your Malay project
Malay voice over
Native Malay voice actors, recorded in broadcast-quality studios.
Learn moreMalay subtitling
Frame-accurate subtitles and captions, burnt in or as separate files.
Learn moreAll translation services
Our full audiovisual translation offer across 100+ languages.
Learn moreMalay transcription
Verbatim or clean-read transcripts, with timecodes and speaker labels.
Learn moreAudiovisual translation in 100+ languages
Native translators for subtitles, voice over and any content. Browse another language, or ask us about yours.
Most common questions
How much does Malay translation cost?
Malay translation is priced per word for text and per minute for audiovisual, varying with volume, subject and turnaround. Send your files for a free, itemised quote, backed by our Price Match Promise.
Are your Malay translations done by native linguists?
Yes. Native Malay linguists translate and a second reviews every text, so it reads the way a Malaysian audience expects.
Do you provide Malay subtitling and voice over as well?
Yes — Malay translation, subtitling and voice over from one team, all written to the same standard.
Can we just adapt our Indonesian version?
We would not recommend it. Malaysia and Indonesia have separate language authorities, and the vocabulary that differs is everyday vocabulary — office, ice, the names of the months. The result passes a spellcheck and still reads as written for somewhere else.
Does one Malay version work for Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore?
For most commercial material, yes. Standard Malay is official in all three and the same file normally serves them. We will tell you if your content is the kind that needs a separate pass.
Who decides what correct Malay is?
Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka is the language authority in Malaysia, and it is the reference our linguists work to. Indonesia has its own body, which is why the two standards stay distinct even though they coordinate.
Will the Malay version be longer than the English?
We do not publish an expansion figure for Malay, because we have not found a source we trust for one. What we do instead is write to the space available and tell you at the brief if your layout is going to be tight.
Do you deliver Malay subtitles and voice-over scripts, not just documents?
Yes — audiovisual is our specialisation. We deliver spotted SRT/VTT and timed two-column voice-over scripts, plus translated text when you need it.
How quickly can a Malay translation project be delivered?
Most short documents are delivered within 24 to 48 hours. Word count, subject complexity and turnaround all move the date, and your project manager will confirm the timeline at the start.
Ready to start your Malay translation project?
Send us your documents, script or video and we'll come back with an exact, itemised quote.
Professional voice over services for your audio and video productions
Voice over
- State-of-the-art studios
- Neumann microphones
- On-hand sound engineers
- 1,000+ voice actors
Translation
- 100+ languages covered
- Tailored to your needs
- Stringent quality control
- Dedicated project managers
Subtitling
- Experienced subtitlers
- Industry-standard software
- Burn-in and graphic editing
- Open and closed captions
Transcription
- Improve accessibility
- Reach a wider audience
- Boost SEO and video views
- Maximise video engagement