perkhidmatan

Perkhidmatan is a Malay noun that denotes the act, process, or system of providing a service. It encompasses the range of services offered by institutions or organisations to users, customers, or the public. The term is used across government, business, and everyday language to refer to the delivery of assistance, facilities, or functions.

The word is formed from the root khidmat (service) with the prefix per-, which creates an abstract noun. In common usage it appears in compounds such as perkhidmatan awam (civil service), perkhidmatan pelanggan (customer service), perkhidmatan pos (postal service), and perkhidmatan sokongan (support services). In informal speech, khidmat may be used to refer to service more generally, while perkhidmatan tends to emphasize the provision as a system or service offering.

In governance and policy, perkhidmatan emphasizes service delivery quality, accessibility, efficiency, and accountability. In business, it relates to the service aspects of products and offerings, including customer experience and after-sales support. The term is typically paired with verbs such as menyediakan (to provide), menyampaikan (to deliver), or memberikan khidmat (to render service).

Perkhidmatan is closely related to, but distinct from, khidmat, which more often denotes an act of service or duty, whereas perkhidmatan emphasizes the provision of a service as a structured offering. See also: perkhidmatan awam; perkhidmatan pelanggan; khidmat.