Kuasa

Kuasa is a term in Malay and Indonesian that denotes power, authority, or the capacity to act. It covers both informal senses of strength and formal rights to act, including permission or delegation. In everyday language, kuasa can refer to an individual’s ability to decide or influence outcomes, as in ia memiliki kuasa untuk memutuskan.

In legal and administrative contexts, kuasa appears in phrases such as surat kuasa (power of attorney), which authorizes another person to represent someone else; kuasa hukum (legal representation); and batas kuasa (limits of authority). The term often signals that authority is delegated or conditional rather than inherent. Distinctions among related terms are common: kekuasaan typically refers to power or domination, while otoritas refers to formal, rule-based authority granted by institutions. Kuasa emphasizes the capacity to act or the authorization given to act, including delegated power.

In political and social discourse, kuasa is used to discuss governance, resource control, and decision-making processes. Expressions such as pembagian kekuasaan (division of powers) or kuasa negara (state power) are encountered in analyses of state and society. In cultural or religious contexts, kuasa may denote divine or moral power, as well as influence attributed to spiritual or moral authority.

Overall, kuasa is a versatile term embedded in everyday language, law, politics, and philosophy within Malay-speaking communities. See also: power, authority, power of attorney, divine power.