Pengantaraan itu bermula hari ini.

The sentence follows a very common Malay pattern:

Subject + Verb + Time expression

So here:

• pengantaraan itu = the subject
• bermula = the verb
• hari ini = the time expression

A rough word-for-word breakdown is:

• pengantaraan itu = that mediation / the mediation
• bermula = begins / starts
• hari ini = today

Malay often keeps this kind of structure very straightforward.

In Malay, demonstratives like ini (this) and itu (that) normally come after the noun, not before it.

So:

• buku itu = that book
• rumah ini = this house
• pengantaraan itu = that mediation

This is normal Malay word order.
So even though English says that mediation, Malay says mediation that.

Its core meaning is still that, but in real sentences it can also help make something definite, so in some contexts it may feel closer to English the.

So pengantaraan itu could be understood as:

• that mediation
• or, depending on context, the mediation already being talked about

This is common in Malay. Since Malay does not have articles like a and the, words such as itu and ini often help show that the noun is specific.

Because bermula is an intransitive verb: it means something begins.

In this sentence, the subject itself is the thing that begins:

• Pengantaraan itu bermula = The mediation begins

By contrast, memulakan is usually transitive and means to start something:

• Mereka memulakan pengantaraan itu = They start the mediation

So:

• bermula = to begin
• memulakan = to start something

That is why bermula is the natural choice here.

In many Malay verbs, ber- helps form an intransitive verb, often describing a state, action, or process connected to the subject.

In bermula, it gives the meaning to begin / to start as something happening with the subject itself.

You do not always need to analyze ber- separately every time, because many forms with ber- are best learned as whole words. But it is useful to know that ber- often signals that the verb is not taking a direct object in the same way a meN- transitive verb might.

So in this sentence, bermula works as a complete verb meaning begins.

Malay verbs usually do not change form for tense the way English verbs do.

So bermula by itself does not automatically mean:

• begins
• began
• will begin

The time is usually understood from context or from a time expression.

Here, hari ini (today) tells you the time frame, so the sentence is understood as present-time or current-time.

That is a very important feature of Malay: time is often shown by separate words, not by changing the verb.

Because Malay does not need a word like English is in this kind of sentence.

This is a verbal sentence, where the verb is bermula. Malay can simply say:

• Pengantaraan itu bermula hari ini

There is no need to insert a separate word equivalent to is before the verb.

English needs is beginning or begins, but Malay can express the idea directly with the verb alone.

In Malay, many time expressions can appear without a preposition.

So it is completely natural to say:

• bermula hari ini = begins today

You can sometimes use pada, especially in more formal or careful language:

• Pengantaraan itu bermula pada hari ini

But in everyday Malay, hari ini without pada is very normal and often more natural.

Yes, literally it is:

• hari = day
• ini = this

So hari ini is literally day this, which means today.

The reason it is not ini hari is the same basic rule as before:
in Malay, ini and itu normally come after the noun.

So:

• hari ini = this day / today
• pengantaraan itu = that mediation

This word order is very regular in Malay.

Yes. Malay allows some flexibility, especially with time expressions.

For example, you could also say:

• Hari ini, pengantaraan itu bermula.

This puts more focus on today.

The original version:

• Pengantaraan itu bermula hari ini

is still very natural and neutral. It simply states that the mediation begins today.

So both are possible, but the emphasis changes slightly.