Alat pemadam api itu baharu.

A word-by-word breakdown is:

• alat = tool, device
• pemadam = extinguisher / something used to put out
• api = fire
• itu = that / the
• baharu = new

So alat pemadam api is fire extinguisher, and the whole sentence means That/The fire extinguisher is new.

Malay often does not use a present-tense verb like is in simple sentences with adjectives.

So:

• Alat pemadam api itu baharu
• literally: fire extinguisher that new
• natural English: That/The fire extinguisher is new

This is completely normal in Malay.

It can feel like either, depending on context.

After a noun, itu is usually the demonstrative that, but in many sentences it also makes the noun specific, so English may translate it as the.

So alat pemadam api itu can mean:

• that fire extinguisher
• the fire extinguisher

Malay does not always match English articles exactly.

In Malay, demonstratives normally come after the noun.

So:

• alat pemadam api itu = that fire extinguisher
• not itu alat pemadam api for the same structure

This is the normal Malay word order for noun + demonstrative.

Because Malay adjectives usually come after the noun or noun phrase they relate to.

Here, baharu is describing alat pemadam api itu, so it comes after it:

• alat pemadam api itu baharu = the fire extinguisher is new

This is different from English, where new usually comes before the noun.

This is a very useful distinction.

• alat pemadam api itu baharu = that/the fire extinguisher is new
• alat pemadam api baharu itu = that new fire extinguisher

So:

• when baharu comes after itu, it is the sentence predicate: is new
• when baharu comes before itu, it is part of the noun phrase: new fire extinguisher

Both are related, but baharu is more formal and clearly means new.

Baru is very common in everyday Malay, but it can also mean just / recently, so baharu can sound clearer in formal writing.

Compare:

• baharu = new
• baru = new / just / only recently

In casual speech, many people would simply say:

• Alat pemadam api itu baru.

Yes, it functions as a set phrase meaning fire extinguisher.

Literally it is built like this:

• alat = device/tool
• pemadam api = fire extinguisher / fire-extinguishing thing

So the whole phrase refers to the object used to put out fires.

Yes. Pemadam api is also a normal way to say fire extinguisher.

Using alat pemadam api sounds a bit more explicit or formal, like fire-extinguishing device/equipment. In everyday speech, pemadam api is often enough.

It is very helpful, because it makes the noun phrase specific: that/the fire extinguisher.

Without itu, the sentence becomes less clearly specific, and the phrase may sound more like a noun phrase such as:

• alat pemadam api baharu = a new fire extinguisher

So itu helps show that the sentence is about a particular fire extinguisher.

Use tidak before the adjective:

• Alat pemadam api itu tidak baharu.
• That/The fire extinguisher is not new.

For adjectives in Malay, tidak is the normal negator.

In simple speech, you can often just use question intonation:

• Alat pemadam api itu baharu?
• Is that/the fire extinguisher new?

In more formal Malay, you can add adakah:

• Adakah alat pemadam api itu baharu?

Both are correct; the second is more formal.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• alat = a-lat
• pemadam = puh-mah-dam (the first e is a weak vowel, like uh)
• api = a-pee
• itu = ee-too
• baharu = ba-ha-roo

Malay spelling is generally quite regular, so once you know the sounds, it is usually pronounced close to how it is written.