Pemohon itu membaca syarat kelayakan.

In this sentence, itu comes after the noun pemohon and makes it more specific.

• pemohon = applicant
• pemohon itu = the applicant / that applicant

In Malay, itu can often mean either that or simply mark something as already known in the context, which often feels like the in English.

Baca is the basic root meaning read.
Membaca is the active verb form built from that root.

In standard Malay, when a verb is used in an ordinary active sentence with a subject doing something to an object, the meN- prefix is very common:

• baca = read
• membaca = to read / reads / is reading

So in Pemohon itu membaca syarat kelayakan, the applicant is actively reading something, so membaca is the normal form.

This is because of the meN- prefix, which changes shape depending on the first sound of the root.

With baca, the prefix appears as mem-, giving:

• meN-
  • baca → membaca

This is a normal sound pattern in Malay. Learners often just memorize the final form as vocabulary at first, which is perfectly fine.

No specific tense is marked here.

Pemohon itu membaca syarat kelayakan could mean different things depending on context, such as:

• The applicant reads the eligibility requirements
• The applicant is reading the eligibility requirements
• The applicant read the eligibility requirements

Malay usually does not mark tense directly on the verb the way English does. Time is often understood from context or shown with time words such as:

• semalam = yesterday
• sekarang = now
• esok = tomorrow
• sudah = already
• sedang = in the middle of

For example:

• Pemohon itu sedang membaca syarat kelayakan = The applicant is reading the eligibility requirements.
• Pemohon itu sudah membaca syarat kelayakan = The applicant has already read the eligibility requirements.

Malay does not have articles like a, an, and the in the same way English does.

So syarat kelayakan can mean:

• eligibility requirements
• the eligibility requirements
• eligibility condition(s)

The exact meaning depends on context.

If Malay speakers want to make the noun phrase more clearly definite, they may add itu:

• syarat kelayakan itu = those/the eligibility requirements

But very often, no article-like word is needed.

This is a noun phrase made of two nouns:

• syarat = requirement / condition
• kelayakan = eligibility / qualification

Together, syarat kelayakan means something like:

• eligibility requirements
• qualification requirements
• requirements for eligibility

Malay commonly puts nouns together like this, with the second noun modifying or specifying the first. So the main noun is syarat, and kelayakan tells you what kind of requirements they are.

Yes. Pemohon comes from the root mohon, which is related to requesting or applying.

A useful pattern is:

• mohon = request / apply
• pemohon = applicant / requester

The prefix peN- often forms a noun for the person who does the action.

So:

• membaca = to read
• pembaca = reader

and similarly:

• memohon = to apply / request
• pemohon = applicant

Yes. In many contexts, pemohon itu can be understood either way.

Which English translation sounds best depends on the situation:

• If you are introducing or pointing out someone specific, that applicant may fit.
• If the person is already known in context, the applicant may fit better.

Malay often leaves this distinction less explicit than English does.

Because syarat kelayakan is the direct object of the verb membaca.

In English, we also say:

• read the requirements

not

• read to the requirements

So Malay works similarly here:

• membaca
  • object

This sentence follows a very common Malay pattern:

• Subject + Verb + Object
• Pemohon itu
  • membaca
    • syarat kelayakan

The basic and most natural order here is:

• Pemohon itu membaca syarat kelayakan.

Malay does allow some flexibility, but changing the order can change the emphasis or make the sentence sound less basic for a learner.

For example:

• Syarat kelayakan dibaca oleh pemohon itu.
  = The eligibility requirements are read by the applicant.
  This is a passive structure.

If you simply move words around without changing the grammar, the result may sound odd or incorrect. So for now, it is best to learn the standard order:

• Subject + Verb + Object

Yes. Malay nouns are often not marked for singular vs. plural unless needed.

So syarat kelayakan could mean:

• an eligibility requirement
• eligibility requirements

In practice, context tells you which is meant. Since requirements are often multiple in real-life situations, English may naturally translate it as plural.

If Malay wants to show plurality clearly, it can use reduplication:

• syarat-syarat kelayakan = eligibility requirements

But in many cases, the unreduplicated form is enough.

A simple approximate pronunciation is:

• pe-mo-hon ee-too mem-ba-cha sya-rat ke-la-ya-kan

A few notes:

• c in Malay is pronounced like ch in chair
• membaca sounds like mem-ba-cha
• sy in syarat is often like sh
• vowels are usually pronounced clearly, not reduced as much as in English

So:

• membaca ≈ mem-BA-cha
• syarat ≈ SHA-rat
• kelayakan ≈ ke-la-YA-kan

In informal conversation, people do sometimes drop prefixes, so you may hear something like that in casual speech.

However, in standard Malay, especially in writing or careful speech, membaca is the expected form here.

So:

• Pemohon itu membaca syarat kelayakan = standard, correct, neutral
• Pemohon itu baca syarat kelayakan = more colloquial / less formal

For learners, it is safest to use membaca first and learn colloquial shortening later.