Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya suka siaran pagi mereka kerana doktor menjawab soalan melalui temu bual langsung. - I like their morning broadcast because the doctor answers questions through a live interview.

So siaran pagi is the kind of set phrase people use for a recurring morning segment or show, not just any random broadcast that happens to be in the morning.

Examples:

Saya selalu dengar siaran pagi di radio.
I always listen to the morning show on the radio.
Siaran pagi itu sangat popular.
That morning show is very popular.

Why is it siaran pagi and not pagi siaran, since in English we say "morning show"?

In Malay, describing words usually come after the noun, unlike in English.

English: morning show (adjective + noun)
Malay: siaran pagi (noun + modifier)

So:

siaran pagi = “morning broadcast/show”
baju merah = red shirt
kereta baharu = new car

Putting pagi before siaran (pagi siaran) is not grammatical in standard Malay for this meaning.

How is mereka working here? Does it mean “they” or “their”? Why is there no word for “their”?

Mereka is the pronoun “they / them / their”, and Malay doesn’t change its form for possession like English does.

In siaran pagi mereka:

siaran pagi = morning show
mereka = they / their

Together it means “their morning show”.

Malay doesn’t need an extra word like “’s” or “of” here:

buku saya = my book
kereta dia = his/her car
siaran pagi mereka = their morning show

You could say siaran pagi mereka itu to emphasise “that morning show of theirs”, but mereka alone is enough for “their”.

What is the difference between kerana and sebab? Could I use sebab here instead?

Both kerana and sebab mean “because” and are often interchangeable in everyday speech.

kerana is a bit more formal and common in writing.
sebab is very common in speech and slightly more casual.

Your sentence:

Saya suka siaran pagi mereka kerana doktor menjawab soalan... ✔
Saya suka siaran pagi mereka sebab doktor menjawab soalan... ✔ (more conversational)

Both are natural; choose based on how formal you want to sound.

There is no word for “the” before doktor. How do I know if it means “a doctor” or “the doctor”?

Malay doesn’t have articles like “a” or “the”. Doktor can mean “a doctor” or “the doctor” depending on context.

In this sentence, since it’s a known, regular part of a show, an English translation would usually use “the doctor answers questions”.

If you need to make it very specific, you can add:

doktor itu = that/the doctor (already mentioned/known)
seorang doktor = a doctor (one doctor, non-specific)

Examples:

Doktor itu menjawab soalan.
That/the doctor answers questions.
Seorang doktor menjawab soalan.
A doctor answers questions.

Does saya suka mean “I like” or “I love”? Could it sound too strong?

Saya suka usually corresponds to “I like” or “I enjoy”. It’s neutral and not overly strong.

Some nuances:

saya suka siaran pagi mereka = I like/enjoy their morning show
saya sangat suka siaran pagi mereka = I really like / I love their morning show (stronger)
saya gemar siaran pagi mereka = I am fond of / I am keen on their morning show (a bit more formal or “bookish”)

So in your sentence, saya suka is a natural, everyday way to say “I like”.

What is the difference between saya and aku for “I”? Could I say Aku suka siaran pagi mereka?

Both saya and aku mean “I / me”, but they differ in formality and context.

saya
- Polite, neutral, safe in almost all situations
- Used with strangers, in formal settings, in writing
aku
- Informal / intimate
- Used with close friends, family, or in songs, poems, casual social media

Your sentence:

Saya suka siaran pagi mereka... ✔ (neutral, polite)
Aku suka siaran pagi mereka... ✔ but sounds more casual / intimate; only appropriate if the whole conversation is in that tone and between close people.

In doktor menjawab soalan, is soalan necessary? Can I just say doktor menjawab?

Menjawab means “to answer”, but on its own it doesn’t say what is being answered.

doktor menjawab = the doctor answers / responded (to something) – object is implied but not stated
doktor menjawab soalan = the doctor answers questions (clear and explicit)

In a context like this show, where answering questions is the key activity, it’s more natural and clearer to say menjawab soalan.

You can also say:

menjawab panggilan = answer calls
menjawab surat = answer letters / reply to a letter

What does melalui mean in melalui temu bual langsung? Could I use dengan or dalam instead?

Melalui means “through / via / by means of”.

melalui temu bual langsung = through a live interview / via a live interview

Comparisons:

dengan temu bual langsung
- literally: “with a live interview”
- can be understood, but sounds a bit less natural here
dalam temu bual langsung
- “in a live interview”
- OK if you mean “during the live interview”, but it doesn’t emphasise the method as strongly as melalui

So:

Doktor menjawab soalan melalui temu bual langsung. ✔
The doctor answers questions via a live interview.
(emphasises the channel/method)

What exactly does temu bual langsung mean? And why is it two words (temu bual) instead of one?

Breakdown:

temu bual = interview
langsung = live / direct (in broadcasting)

So temu bual langsung = “live interview” (an interview that is broadcast in real time).

About writing:

You’ll see both temu bual and temubual in real life.
Current formal Malay spelling tends to prefer two words: temu bual.
Another common synonym is temu ramah (also “interview”, especially with guests).

Examples:

Saya menonton temu bual langsung dengan seorang doktor.
I watched a live interview with a doctor.
Temu bual itu dirakam, bukan secara langsung.
The interview was recorded, not live.

How is tense shown here? In English we say “the doctor answers questions”. How would I say “answered” or “will answer”?

Malay generally does not change the verb form for tense. Menjawab stays the same; time is shown by context or time words.

Your sentence can mean:

“the doctor answers questions” (habitual, present)
“the doctor answered questions” (past, if context is past)
“the doctor will answer questions” (future, if context is future)

To make tense explicit, add markers:

Past:
- doktor telah menjawab soalan
- doktor sudah menjawab soalan
  (the doctor has already answered the questions)
Future:
- doktor akan menjawab soalan
  (the doctor will answer questions)

But in everyday speech, people often just rely on context:

Semalam doktor menjawab soalan melalui temu bual langsung.
Yesterday the doctor answered questions via a live interview.
Esok doktor menjawab soalan melalui temu bual langsung.
Tomorrow the doctor will answer questions via a live interview.

Can I move the kerana-clause to the front, like in English “Because the doctor answers questions…, I like their morning show”?

Yes. You can put the kerana-clause first; the meaning is the same.

Saya suka siaran pagi mereka kerana doktor menjawab soalan melalui temu bual langsung. ✔
Kerana doktor menjawab soalan melalui temu bual langsung, saya suka siaran pagi mereka. ✔

Both are correct. The first (reason at the end) is more common in everyday speech. The second sounds a bit more formal or emphatic, highlighting the reason first.