When Malay-Language Newspaper Sources Are Needed
Malaysian postgraduate researchers studying Malaysian social, political, educational, and cultural phenomena sometimes need to cite Bahasa Malaysia newspaper sources — Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, Harian Metro, or the Malay editions of major Malaysian news outlets. These are legitimate sources for documenting public discourse, tracking policy commentary, or citing official statements made in the Malay-language media. Knowing how to cite Bahasa Malaysia newspaper articles in APA correctly ensures these sources are attributed with the same rigour as English-language sources.
The APA 7th Format for Malay-Language Newspaper Articles
For a Malay-language newspaper article in an English-language thesis, APA 7th recommends citing the article in its original language and providing an English translation of the title in square brackets. The format is: Author Last Name, First Initial. (Year, Month Day). Article title in Bahasa Malaysia [English translation of title]. Newspaper Name. URL if available.
Example: Ismail, N. H. (2024, June 15). Enrolmen pelajar pasca siswazah terus meningkat [Postgraduate student enrolment continues to rise]. Berita Harian. https://www.bharian.com.my/berita/pendidikan/2024/06/…
Note that the article title itself is in Bahasa Malaysia (not italicised), followed immediately by the English translation in square brackets. The newspaper name remains italicised. This format respects the original language of the source while making the content accessible to readers who may not read Malay.
When No Named Author Is Listed
Unsigned Malay-language news articles — common in wire service reports from Bernama in Bahasa Malaysia — follow the same no-author APA convention as unsigned English articles: move the article title to the author position and alphabetise by the first significant word of the Malay title. Example: Pelajar PhD Malaysia antara yang terbaik di rantau ini [Malaysian PhD students among the best in the region]. (2024, August 3). Utusan Malaysia. https://www.utusan.com.my/…
In-Text Citations for Malay-Language Newspaper Articles
In-text citations follow standard APA author-date format: (Ismail, 2024) for a named author, or (“Pelajar PhD Malaysia,” 2024) for an unsigned article using the title abbreviation. When citing Malay-language sources extensively in an English thesis, consider adding a translator’s note the first time a translated title appears, clarifying that all Bahasa Malaysia source titles in square brackets are the researcher’s translations. This transparency is particularly important for international examiners who cannot independently verify the translation accuracy and who will appreciate the courtesy of the translation note.
