Learn Hardcore Malay: Ketua sekolah meminta semua murid mengutip sampah selepas jamuan. - The school leader asked all pupils to pick up trash after the feast.

Ketua sekolah literally means “head of the school.” It refers to the school’s principal. Pengetua is the standard Malay term for “principal,” so in practice they mean the same thing. Pengetua is more commonly used in official contexts.

What is the function of meminta in this sentence? Does it mean “to ask” or “to request”?

Here meminta means “to ask someone to do something” or “to request.” The principal is asking all the students to collect the trash. It’s equivalent to English “ask” or “request.”

Why is there no preposition like “to” before semua murid?

In Malay, the verb meminta takes its object directly without a preposition. So meminta seseorang means “ask someone,” and you don’t need kepada (“to”) before semua murid.

What does mengutip mean? Could I use mengambil instead?

Mengutip means “to pick up,” especially items lying on the ground. Mengambil means “to take” or “to take away.” For picking up trash off the floor, mengutip sampah is more natural. Mengambil sampah could work but might imply you’re simply removing it, not necessarily picking it up piece by piece.

Why use mengutip instead of mengumpul sampah?

Mengutip emphasizes picking up individual pieces from the ground. Mengumpul means “to gather” or “to collect” more generally, implying putting things together into one spot. Both are possible, but mengutip sampah focuses on the action of picking it up.

What does selepas jamuan mean? Could I say pada jamuan or semasa jamuan?

Selepas jamuan means “after the feast/banquet.”
Pada jamuan means “at the feast,” and
semasa jamuan means “during the feast.”
Each phrase indicates a different time relation.

Can the time phrase selepas jamuan be moved to the front of the sentence?

Yes. Malay allows flexible word order. You can say:
Selepas jamuan, ketua sekolah meminta semua murid mengutip sampah.
The meaning remains exactly the same.

What is a jamuan? Is it a party, a ceremony, or something else?

A jamuan is generally a feast or banquet—a meal served to guests. It can be formal (e.g., official banquet) or informal (e.g., small gathering). It’s less tied to rituals than kenduri and less formal than some types of majlis.