Dr Muhamad Hariz Muhamad Adnan (drhariz.com), HRD Corp certified AI trainer and Senior Lecturer at UPSI, delivers AI training in Bahasa Melayu, in English or bilingually for Malaysian companies and government agencies. Training in Bahasa Melayu helps frontline, public-sector and SME staff learn faster, write better prompts in the language they work in, and check AI output written in BM for accuracy and tone.
Most AI training material in Malaysia is written and delivered in English. That suits some head-office teams, but many organisations run their daily work in Bahasa Melayu: government agencies, local councils, GLC frontline units, SMEs outside the Klang Valley and customer service teams serving Malay-speaking customers. This page explains when BM delivery makes sense, what changes in the training, and how it fits HRD Corp claimable programmes. (Artikel berbahasa Melayu tentang kursus AI juga tersedia, contohnya Kursus AI di Malaysia oleh Dr Hariz.)
Why the training language matters for AI skills
Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini respond to instructions written in natural language. The quality of the output depends on how clearly the user explains the task, the audience and the tone. Staff who think and write in Bahasa Melayu every day often give weaker, shorter instructions when forced to prompt in English, and they are less able to spot awkward or incorrect English output. Training in the working language removes that barrier: participants learn the prompting technique itself, then apply it directly to the letters, minutes, reports and replies they already produce in BM.
There is also a confidence effect. In mixed sessions delivered only in English, quieter staff tend not to ask questions. When the trainer explains concepts in BM and switches to English only for tool menus and technical terms, participation usually improves.
Who benefits most from AI training in Bahasa Melayu
Government agencies and local authorities
Official correspondence, minit mesyuarat, kertas kerja and public notices are written in Bahasa Melayu. AI training for the public sector should therefore practise drafting and checking these documents in BM, together with the data-handling rules that apply to government information. For the wider case, see why Malaysian government agencies need AI training.
Frontline and customer service teams
Teams answering customers on WhatsApp, email or counters can use AI to draft polite, consistent replies in BM and English, summarise complaints and prepare FAQs. Practising in BM makes the templates immediately usable.
SMEs outside the Klang Valley
Many family businesses and SMEs in Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and the East Coast run their operations in BM. For them, a bilingual or BM-first session is often the difference between staff actually using AI afterwards and forgetting it within a week.
Education institutions
Teachers and lecturers who prepare material in Bahasa Melayu need prompt examples and assessment practices in BM. For education-specific programmes, see AI for education in Malaysia.
What changes when AI training is delivered in BM
- Prompt examples in BM: participants practise with Bahasa Melayu instructions and learn how to ask for formal (rasmi) or conversational tone.
- Checking BM output: AI tools can produce BM that is grammatically correct but unnatural, too literal or mixed with Indonesian word choices. Training includes how to review and correct this.
- Bilingual materials: handbooks and prompt libraries can be prepared in BM, English or both, so staff can switch depending on the task.
- Terminology: key AI terms (generative AI, prompt, model, hallucination) are explained in BM with the English term kept alongside, because tool menus remain in English.
- Local documents: exercises use Malaysian formats such as surat rasmi, minit mesyuarat, laporan bulanan and customer replies in BM.
Example Bahasa Melayu prompts used in training
These are the kind of prompts participants practise and improve during a session:
- “Anda ialah pegawai perhubungan awam. Tulis draf notis ringkas kepada orang awam tentang penutupan kaunter pada hari Jumaat, dalam bahasa rasmi, tidak melebihi 120 patah perkataan.”
- “Ringkaskan minit mesyuarat berikut kepada lima perkara tindakan, nyatakan pegawai bertanggungjawab dan tarikh akhir dalam bentuk jadual.”
- “Tulis balasan WhatsApp yang sopan kepada pelanggan yang mengadu penghantaran lewat. Minta maaf, beri anggaran tarikh baharu dan tawarkan nombor untuk dihubungi.”
- “Semak teks berikut dan betulkan tatabahasa serta perkataan yang kedengaran seperti bahasa Indonesia. Kekalkan nada rasmi.”
Each prompt is then refined in class: adding the audience, the format, the length limit and a request for the AI to list its assumptions. Participants also learn not to paste personal or confidential data into public AI tools, in line with the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (PDPA) and internal policy.
HRD Corp claimable AI training in Bahasa Melayu
The language of delivery does not change HRD Corp eligibility. A programme delivered in BM, English or bilingually is treated the same way as long as the employer is registered, the grant is approved before the training and the programme meets HRD Corp requirements. State the delivery language in the course outline so participants and approvers know what to expect. For claim steps, read HRD Corp Claimable AI Training Courses in Malaysia.
Bahasa Melayu, English or bilingual: how to choose
| Team profile | Suggested language |
|---|---|
| Government agency or local council | BM-first, English terms for tools |
| Frontline or customer service serving Malay-speaking customers | BM-first or bilingual |
| Mixed head-office team in the Klang Valley | Bilingual |
| Multinational or regional team | English |
| SME outside major cities | BM-first or bilingual |
About the trainer
Dr Muhamad Hariz Bin Muhamad Adnan is a Doctor in Artificial Intelligence and Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Computing and Meta-Technology, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), and an HRD Corp certified AI trainer focused on AI-driven digital transformation in education and the workplace. He delivers corporate AI training in Malaysia in Bahasa Melayu, English or bilingually, on-site or live online. To plan a BM or bilingual session for your team, contact Dr Hariz.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Dr Hariz delivers corporate and public-sector AI training fully in Bahasa Melayu, in English, or bilingually, with prompt examples and materials in the chosen language.
They understand and write Bahasa Melayu, but output can sometimes sound too literal or use Indonesian word choices. Training covers how to prompt clearly in BM and how to review and correct the result.
The delivery language does not affect eligibility. A BM programme is claimable on the same conditions as an English one, provided the employer is registered and the grant is approved before training.
Yes. Handbooks, prompt libraries and templates can be prepared in Bahasa Melayu, English or both, so staff can use whichever fits the task.
Government agencies, local authorities, frontline and customer service teams, and SMEs whose daily work is in Bahasa Melayu usually gain the most, because they can apply the prompts directly to their own documents.
