Saya bertanya mengenai tuntutan itu.

Bertanya means to ask in an intransitive or general sense: the speaker is asking about something.

• Saya bertanya mengenai tuntutan itu = I asked about that claim/demand/lawsuit.
• menanyakan is usually used when there is a direct thing being asked:
  • Saya menanyakan harga itu = I asked about that price / I asked for that price information.

So in this sentence, bertanya mengenai ... is a very natural structure for ask about ....

Mengenai means about, regarding, or concerning.

So:

• bertanya mengenai tuntutan itu = ask about that claim/demand/lawsuit

It is fairly formal or neutral in tone. In everyday Malay, people also often use:

• tentang
• pasal or fasal in some varieties/contexts

Examples:

• Saya bertanya tentang tuntutan itu.
• Saya bertanya mengenai tuntutan itu.

Both are correct, but mengenai sounds a bit more formal.

Tuntutan can have several related meanings depending on context, such as:

• demand
• claim
• requirement
• sometimes legal claim or lawsuit-related claim

This word comes from tuntut, which means to demand, to claim, or to seek.

So without more context, tuntutan itu could mean:

• that demand
• that claim
• that legal claim

The exact English translation depends on the situation.

In Malay, demonstratives like ini and itu usually come after the noun.

So:

• tuntutan itu = that claim/demand
• rumah itu = that house
• orang ini = this person

This is different from English, where this/that comes before the noun.

Not always. Malay often allows the subject to be omitted if it is already clear from context.

So both can work:

• Saya bertanya mengenai tuntutan itu.
• Bertanya mengenai tuntutan itu.
  = possible in the right context, especially in conversation

However, including Saya makes the sentence complete and clear, especially for learners or in more neutral written language.

No specific tense is marked here.

Malay verbs usually do not change form for past, present, or future the way English verbs do. So bertanya itself can mean:

• ask
• asked
• am asking
• will ask

The time is usually understood from context or shown with time words, such as:

• semalam = yesterday
• tadi = earlier
• sekarang = now
• esok = tomorrow

Examples:

• Semalam saya bertanya mengenai tuntutan itu. = Yesterday I asked about that claim.
• Sekarang saya bertanya mengenai tuntutan itu. = Now I am asking about that claim.

The prefix ber- often forms verbs that describe an action done by the subject, often without a direct object in the same way English uses one.

In bertanya, it creates the common verb to ask.

You do not need to translate ber- by itself every time, but it is useful to recognize that:

• tanya relates to question/ask
• bertanya = to ask

Many ber- verbs describe actions or states, for example:

• berjalan = to walk
• bercakap = to speak
• berfikir = to think

So bertanya mengenai ... is a normal Malay pattern.

Yes, in informal spoken Malay, Saya tanya mengenai tuntutan itu is common and natural.

Comparison:

• Saya bertanya mengenai tuntutan itu. = more standard/full form
• Saya tanya mengenai tuntutan itu. = more conversational

In casual speech, Malay often drops some affixes. But for careful writing, textbooks, and exams, bertanya is usually safer.

Yes. Both are correct in many situations.

• Saya bertanya mengenai tuntutan itu.
• Saya bertanya tentang tuntutan itu.

Difference in tone:

• mengenai = more formal, more like regarding/concerning
• tentang = very common, neutral, everyday about

If you are unsure, tentang is often an easy and natural choice in everyday use.

It sounds neutral to somewhat formal.

Why?

• Saya is standard and neutral.
• bertanya is a full standard verb form.
• mengenai is slightly formal compared with tentang.

So this sentence would fit well in standard speech, writing, reports, or polite conversation. A more casual version might be:

• Saya tanya tentang tuntutan itu.

That version sounds more everyday and conversational.