How many words are in this list?

This page gives 100 Malay words on “Society and politics”. The full topic holds 178 in the KoKo app: 71 at the easy level, 62 at the medium level and 45 at the hard level.

Which words should I start with?

With level 1: these are the easiest words of the topic. Move on to level 2 once they come to you without thinking, then to level 3.

How can I remember this Malay vocabulary?

By seeing each word again at longer and longer intervals, just before you forget it: that is spaced repetition. The KoKo app does it for you and tells you each day which words to review.

Can I print this list or save it as a PDF?

Yes. The “Print the list” button at the top of the page opens your device’s print dialog: choose to save as PDF to keep the 100 words and their translation, with nothing else around them.

Malay vocabulary: politics and society

Government, elections, rights, debates: the Malay words for talking about society and politics.

Here are 100 Malay words on “Society and politics”, translated into English and sorted from easiest to hardest.

Level 1: easy 40 words

Malay	English
tentera	army
serangan	attack
pertempuran	battle
sempadan	border
kempen	campaign
calon	candidate
gereja	church
perkhidmatan awam	civil service
masyarakat sivil	civil society
majlis	council
negeri	countryAn inhabited territory, in the geographical sense
kekalahan	defeat
demokrasi	democracy
Kesatuan Eropah	European Union
kebebasan bersuara	freedom of speech
kerajaan	government
hak asasi manusia	human rights
manifesto	manifesto
datuk bandar	mayor
khidmat tentera	military service
kementerian	ministry
perbandaran	municipality
pembangkang	opposition
parlimen	parliament
keamanan	peace
politik	politics
presiden	president
perdana menteri	prime minister
reformasi	reform
agama	religion
republik	republic
penentangan	resistance
keadilan sosial	social justice
ucapan	speech
negara	stateThe political institution that holds sovereign power
penggal jawatan	term of office
perjanjian	treaty
undi	vote
hak mengundi	voting right
senjata	weapon

Level 2: medium 35 words

Malay	English
pakatan	alliance
kepercayaan	belief
kapitalisme	capitalism
warganegara	citizen
penjajahan	colonisation
kawasan pilihan raya	constituency
rasuah	corruption
tindakan keras	crackdown
tunjuk perasaan	demonstration
kediktatoran	dictatorship
pembubaran parlimen	dissolution
kedutaan besar	embassy
penyisihan	exclusion
genosid	genocide
politik alam sekitar	green politics
tebusan	hostage
imigresen	immigration
institusi	institution
sekatan antarabangsa	international sanction
pencerobohan	invasion
kuasa kehakiman	judicial power
monarki	monarchy
pendudukan	occupation
perjanjian damai	peace treaty
petisyen	petition
doa	prayer
pegawai daerah	prefect
skandal	scandal
senat	senate
senator	senator
mobiliti sosial	social mobility
askar	soldier
kedaulatan	sovereignty
serangan pengganas	terrorist attack
kadar keluar mengundi	turnout

Level 3: hard 25 words

Malay	English
tidak mengundi	abstention
aktivisme	activism
peti undi	ballot box
gencatan senjata	ceasefire
pembangkangan sivil	civil disobedience
komunisme	communism
dekolonisasi	decolonisation
diplomasi	diplomacy
ekstremisme	extremism
kesaksamaan gender	gender parity
kuasa perundangan	legislative power
kumpulan pendesak	lobby
multikulturalisme	multiculturalism
usul tidak percaya	no confidence motion
pelantikan	nomination
bilik mengundi	polling booth
penentuan nasib sendiri	self determination
berdebat	to debate
menuntut hak	to demand as a right
memerintah	to govern
menyertai parti	to join a party
meratifikasi	to ratify
melakukan reformasi	to reform
hak mengundi sejagat	universal suffrage
pelarian perang	war refugee

Mini quiz

5 words from this page, picked at random. Find their translation.

Frequently asked questions

How many words are in this list?: This page gives 100 Malay words on “Society and politics”. The full topic holds 178 in the KoKo app: 71 at the easy level, 62 at the medium level and 45 at the hard level.
Which words should I start with?: With level 1: these are the easiest words of the topic. Move on to level 2 once they come to you without thinking, then to level 3.
How can I remember this Malay vocabulary?: By seeing each word again at longer and longer intervals, just before you forget it: that is spaced repetition. The KoKo app does it for you and tells you each day which words to review.
Can I print this list or save it as a PDF?: Yes. The “Print the list” button at the top of the page opens your device’s print dialog: choose to save as PDF to keep the 100 words and their translation, with nothing else around them.

How KoKo makes words stick

These lists come from KoKo, the app to learn Malay vocabulary on iPhone.