Tarikh penghantaran ialah hari ini.

They are related, but they are not the same word.

• tarikh = date, especially a calendar date
• hari = day

So in this sentence:

• tarikh penghantaran = the delivery/shipping date
• hari ini = today

A native English speaker might expect one word to cover both ideas, but Malay separates them clearly here.

Malay usually puts the main noun first and the describing/modifying noun after it.

So:

• tarikh penghantaran literally follows the pattern date + delivery
• natural English usually does the reverse: delivery date

This is a very common difference between English and Malay word order.

Compare:

• kereta polis = police car
• bilik tidur = bedroom
• tarikh penghantaran = delivery date

So the Malay structure is normal.

Penghantaran is a noun meaning delivery, shipment, or dispatch, depending on context.

It comes from the root verb:

• hantar = to send / to deliver

Then Malay adds affixes to turn it into a noun:

• peN- ... -an → forms a noun related to the action or process

So:

• hantar = deliver
• penghantaran = delivery / sending / dispatch

You do not need to produce this word from scratch every time, but it is useful to recognize that many Malay nouns are built this way.

Ialah is a linking word, similar to is in English.

In Tarikh penghantaran ialah hari ini, it links:

• Tarikh penghantaran = the subject
• hari ini = the information being stated about it

So the structure is basically:

• Tarikh penghantaran = delivery date
• ialah = is
• hari ini = today

It is often used in more formal or careful Malay, especially when linking one noun phrase to another.

As a learner, it is best to learn this rule:

• ialah is usually used before a noun phrase
• adalah is usually used before an adjective phrase or prepositional phrase

Here, hari ini functions as a time expression and behaves like a noun phrase, so ialah is the better standard choice.

So:

• Tarikh penghantaran ialah hari ini. = good standard usage

You may sometimes see or hear variation in real life, but if you want to sound correct in standard Malay, ialah is the safer choice here.

Yes, very often Malay leaves out this kind of linking word, especially in casual speech, short messages, notices, or headings.

So you may see:

• Tarikh penghantaran hari ini.

This can still be understood from context. However, for a full, clear sentence, especially in formal writing, ialah makes the relationship more explicit.

For learners, the version with ialah is easier to understand and produce correctly.

In standard Malay, words like ini and itu usually come after the noun they describe.

So:

• hari ini = this day = today
• buku ini = this book
• rumah itu = that house

That is why hari ini is the normal standard form.

A learner may want to put ini first because English says this day, but Malay usually does the opposite.

Yes, literally it is day this, following normal Malay word order.

But as a fixed everyday expression, hari ini simply means today.

So even though the literal structure looks unusual from an English perspective, you should learn hari ini as the standard way to say today.

Yes, that is also grammatical.

The difference is mostly about emphasis:

• Tarikh penghantaran ialah hari ini.
  Focuses on the delivery date
• Hari ini ialah tarikh penghantaran.
  Focuses on today

Both mean essentially the same thing, but they present the information from different starting points.

It sounds neutral to somewhat formal, mainly because of ialah.

• With ialah, it sounds more complete and careful
• Without ialah, it can sound more concise or conversational, depending on context

So:

• Tarikh penghantaran ialah hari ini. = clear, standard, slightly formal
• Tarikh penghantaran hari ini. = shorter, less formal, more context-dependent

For learners, the full version is a very good model sentence.