Pemohon layak, maka namanya dimasukkan dalam senarai pendek.

Pemohon means applicant.

It comes from the root mohon, which means to request / to apply (formally).
The prefix pe- (more precisely peN- in grammar terms) often makes a noun for the person who does the action.

So:

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

In this sentence, pemohon is the person being considered.

Malay often does not use a verb like is / am / are when linking a subject with an adjective or noun.

So:

• Pemohon layak = The applicant is qualified / eligible

Literally, it is more like:

• applicant qualified

This is completely normal in Malay.
You do not need adalah here in ordinary usage.

Layak usually means:

• qualified
• eligible
• suitable
• sometimes deserving

In this sentence, the most natural meaning is qualified or eligible.

So Pemohon layak means the applicant meets the required conditions.

Maka means so, therefore, or thus.

It links the first part of the sentence to the result:

• Pemohon layak, maka...
• The applicant is qualified, therefore...

A useful note: maka sounds a bit more formal, written, or official than everyday spoken connectors like jadi or maka itu in some contexts. In administrative or formal writing, it fits well.

Namanya = nama + -nya

Here, -nya means his/her/their or refers back to someone already mentioned.
So namanya means:

• his name
• her name
• their name
• or more loosely, the person’s name

In this sentence, it refers back to pemohon.

So:

• namanya dimasukkan... = his/her name is included...

Malay often uses -nya this way to avoid repeating the noun.

Dimasukkan is a passive form.

It comes from:

• masuk = enter / go in
• masukkan = put something in / insert / include
• dimasukkan = is put in / is inserted / is included

So in this sentence:

• namanya dimasukkan dalam senarai pendek
• his/her name is included in the shortlist

The prefix di- commonly marks the passive voice in Malay.

Compare:

• Mereka memasukkan namanya... = They include his/her name...
  active
• Namanya dimasukkan... = His/her name is included...
  passive

Malay uses this kind of passive very often, especially in formal writing.

The ending -kan often makes a verb more transitive, meaning it takes an object.

Here is the idea:

• masuk = to enter / to go in
• masukkan = to put something into something

So:

• nama masuk senarai would sound wrong for this meaning
• nama dimasukkan dalam senarai = the name is put into the list

In other words, -kan helps create the meaning to cause something to go in / to place something into.

Dalam here means in.

So:

• dalam senarai pendek = in the shortlist

This is the normal way to say that something is included in a list.

You may expect ke dalam because in English we say put into, but Malay often just uses dalam in this kind of expression, especially with verbs like memasukkan / dimasukkan.

So:

• dimasukkan dalam senarai pendek = natural Malay

Using ke dalam is possible in some contexts involving motion into something, but here dalam is the most natural choice.

Yes. Senarai pendek is the Malay equivalent of shortlist.

It is made of:

• senarai = list
• pendek = short

So literally it is short list, but in meaning it is the standard expression for a shortlist, especially in hiring, selection, or evaluation contexts.

Malay often focuses on the specific thing being processed.

In hiring or selection contexts, it is very natural to say that the name is entered or included on a list:

• namanya dimasukkan dalam senarai pendek

This is similar to English expressions like:

• His name was placed on the shortlist

So the sentence is not strange. It sounds administrative and natural.

Yes, it sounds fairly formal and administrative.

Clues include:

• pemohon instead of a more casual wording
• maka as a formal connector
• dimasukkan in a passive construction
• senarai pendek in an official selection context

This is the kind of sentence you might see in:

• a report
• a hiring document
• an official notice
• formal written Malay

In everyday conversation, a speaker might use a less formal structure, but this sentence is perfectly natural in formal written Malay.