Rebat itu mengurangkan tunggakan bil.

Itu is a demonstrative word meaning that, but in many sentences it also works like a definite marker.

So rebat itu can mean:

• that rebate
• or more naturally in context, the rebate

It tells you the speaker means a specific rebate, not just any rebate.

This sentence actually follows the normal Malay pattern:

• Subject: Rebat itu
• Verb: mengurangkan
• Object: tunggakan bil

So the structure is:

Subject + Verb + Object

That is very similar to basic English word order:

• The rebate
  • reduces
    • the bill arrears/outstanding amount

What may feel different is the noun phrase tunggakan bil, where the modifying noun comes after the main noun.

Kurang by itself usually means less, lacking, or not enough, and it can also function as part of expressions meaning to decrease.

But mengurangkan is a transitive verb meaning:

• to reduce
• to lessen
• to decrease something

That fits this sentence because the rebate is doing something to an object: it reduces tunggakan bil.

Compare:

• Bil itu berkurang. = The bill decreases / becomes less.
• Rebat itu mengurangkan bil. = The rebate reduces the bill.

So mengurangkan is used when something causes something else to become less.

It is built from the root kurang.

A simplified breakdown is:

• root: kurang = less / lacking
• prefix: meng-
• suffix: -kan

So:

kurang → mengurangkan

This pattern often creates a verb meaning to cause something to become X or to make something X.

Here, mengurangkan means to make something less.

Tunggakan bil is a noun phrase.

• tunggakan = arrears, overdue amount, outstanding amount
• bil = bill

So literally it is something like:

• bill arrears
• bill backlog
• outstanding bill amount

In Malay, the head noun usually comes first, and the noun modifying it comes after it.

So:

• tunggakan bil = arrears of bills / bill arrears
• not bil tunggakan in this meaning

This noun order is very common in Malay.

Malay often links nouns directly without a separate word like of.

So English:

• arrears of bills
• bill arrears

can become Malay:

• tunggakan bil

This is a very normal Malay noun-noun construction.

Other examples:

• harga minyak = price of oil / oil price
• bilik tidur = sleeping room / bedroom
• kad kredit = credit card

So you do not need a separate connector there.

Yes, bil is a borrowing from English bill, but in Malay it is fully natural and commonly used.

It usually refers to:

• a utility bill
• an invoice
• a charge statement

Examples:

• bil elektrik = electricity bill
• bil air = water bill
• bil telefon = phone bill

So in this sentence, bil is perfectly normal Malay usage.

Yes. In many contexts, itu can sound more like the than a strongly pointed that.

Malay does not have articles exactly like English a/an/the, so words like itu often help show that something is specific or already known.

So depending on context:

• rebat itu = that rebate
• rebat itu = the rebate

Both are possible.

Yes, you can, but the nuance changes.

• Rebat itu mengurangkan tunggakan bil = a specific rebate / the rebate reduces the bill arrears
• Rebat mengurangkan tunggakan bil = rebates reduce bill arrears, or rebate reduces bill arrears in a more general statement

Without itu, the noun phrase becomes less specifically tied to a known item. Whether it sounds right depends on context.

It can be either singular or plural, depending on context.

Malay nouns usually do not have to show singular/plural clearly unless needed.

So bil can mean:

• bill
• bills

And tunggakan bil can mean:

• outstanding bill amount
• bill arrears
• overdue bills, depending on context

If the speaker wants to make plurality clearer, they might use context, a number, or reduplication in some cases.

They are related, but not always identical.

• rebat = rebate, usually money returned or deducted under certain conditions
• diskaun = discount, usually a direct price reduction at the time of purchase

So:

• diskaun often lowers the price immediately
• rebat may be applied later, refunded, or credited

In everyday use, people may sometimes use them loosely, but the distinction above is the usual one.

Yes, but it is slightly different in focus.

• mengurangkan tunggakan bil focuses on the arrears / overdue amount
• mengurangkan bil tertunggak focuses on the overdue bill(s) themselves

Both can work, but tunggakan bil is often more natural when talking about the amount owed in arrears.

Compare:

• tunggakan bil = bill arrears / outstanding amount
• bil tertunggak = overdue bill(s)

It sounds neutral to fairly formal, and it would fit well in:

• billing statements
• customer service communication
• financial explanations
• official notices

Words like rebat, mengurangkan, and tunggakan bil are common in administrative or business contexts.

In very casual speech, someone might choose simpler wording depending on the situation, but this sentence is perfectly natural and standard.