SHAH ALAM, Oct 4 — The first phase of the Malaysian Institute of Translation and Books’ (ITBM) artificial intelligence-powered language translation system (MyTranslate) is expected to be ready for public use as early as next year.
ITBM chief executive officer Sakri Abdullah said the initial phase of the app’s development would focus on translating legal terms and phrases.
He explained that the legal field was selected as it is one of the most commonly translated document types by ITBM, with the goal of enriching vocabulary, phrases and knowledge in this discipline, particularly in Bahasa Malaysia.
“To achieve this, ITBM is working closely with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) to ensure at least the first phase of the app’s development is completed next year,” he told Bernama recently.
Sakri said there was a need for a translation system that elevates Bahasa Melayu, and ITBM, as the industry leader in Malaysia, is taking the responsibility to ensure the proper and accurate use of the national language.
“ITBM acknowledges the existence of translation systems like Google Translate and ChatGPT.
“However, it is our responsibility to uphold Bahasa Melayu and ensure its correct and precise usage, while being mindful of community sensitivities and avoiding general translations,” he said.
As such, Sakri expressed hope that the government would allocate special funding to ITBM to expand the app’s vocabulary and phrase database, enabling its continuous development and improvement.
On May 28, ITBM and UTM signed a memorandum of understanding to develop an AI-powered smart translation system.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir, who witnessed the signing ceremony, said MyTranslate consolidates reference materials from diverse disciplines into a single repository for future academic convenience.
— Bernama
