Learn Hardcore Malay: Dia membawa panah ke hutan. - He/She brings a bow and arrow to the forest.

Dia can mean he, she, or sometimes they for a single person, depending on context. Malay does not usually mark gender in third-person singular pronouns the way English does.

So:

Dia membawa panah ke hutan. = He brought/is bringing a bow and arrow? No — more naturally, He/She brought an arrow / arrows to the forest, depending on context.

You usually need surrounding context to know whether dia is male or female.

Why is it membawa and not just bawa?

Membawa is the standard verb form meaning to carry, to bring, or to take.

It comes from the root word:

bawa = bring/carry

With the meN- prefix, it becomes:

membawa = to bring/carry

This prefixed form is common in standard written Malay and careful speech.
You may hear bawa by itself in casual conversation, but membawa is more grammatical and formal in a full sentence like this.

What exactly does panah mean here?