Home
Interpretation Services in Malaysia
Interpretation Services in Kuala Lumpur
Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur at sunset

Interpretation Services in Kuala Lumpur

InquireSpeak to an expert

Interpretation for summits, congresses and trade exhibitions in Kuala Lumpur

Maven provides interpretation services in Kuala Lumpur for summits, international congresses, trade exhibitions, board meetings, training sessions, press conferences and delegation visits. Interpreters can work on-site, remotely or in hybrid format. The equipment with relevant technical support can be provided for interpretation in simultaneous format.

Maven has offices in the USA, Ireland, the UAE and Malaysia and has delivered interpretation in more than 20 countries. Kuala Lumpur is where Maven started, and its Malaysia office has been in the city since 2013.

Languages spoken and required in Kuala Lumpur

Malay is the national language and the language of official functions, while ASEAN's working language is English.

Official and business languages
  • Malay
  • English
Widely spoken in Kuala Lumpur
  • Cantonese
  • Mandarin
Often requested for meetings
  • Arabic
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Tamil
  • French
  • Russian

Malay interpreters in Kuala Lumpur

Malay interpreters in Kuala Lumpur are required when ministers and officials speak in Malay and foreign delegations follow in English or their own languages, and when international speakers address a Malaysian audience.

Mandarin interpreters in Kuala Lumpur

Mandarin interpreters in Kuala Lumpur are required for trade delegations, investor meetings and exhibitions. China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 16 years in a row and accounted for 16.8 percent of the country's trade in 2024. Cantonese is the main Chinese variety spoken in the city, and Mandarin is the shared language across Malaysian Chinese communities.

Arabic is the third language to plan for: the Asian Football Confederation lists English and Arabic as its official languages, and halal trade and Gulf delegations bring Arabic speakers to the city. Japanese, Korean, Tamil, French and Russian are required as well. Tell us the languages your delegates speak and we will put together the team of interpreters in Kuala Lumpur.

Interpretation formats offered

Two interpreters at work in a booth, seen through the glass

Clients we can support in Kuala Lumpur

Government bodies, UN agencies, NGOs, international sports federations, event organizers and private companies host events and meetings in Kuala Lumpur that may need interpretation support.

Events in Kuala Lumpur that require interpreters

Kuala Lumpur hosts a steady run of international meetings, and many of them return regularly, so language support can often be planned well ahead.

Event
Type
Venue
ASEAN summits of 2025
Summit
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
UN-Habitat's Ninth World Urban Forum
UN forum
DSA
Trade show
MITEC
NATSEC Asia
Trade show
MITEC
MIHAS
Halal trade show

International sport is governed from the city as well: the Asian Football Confederation has its headquarters in Bukit Jalil, and the Badminton World Federation has had its head office here since 2005. Past events have brought together delegates, exhibitors and officials from more than 160 countries.

Our interpreters can work in the following venues

We can work in venues across Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley, including the following:

  • Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre

    Beside the Petronas Twin Towers, with a plenary hall of about 3,000 seats and 28 meeting rooms.

  • MITEC

    On Jalan Dutamas. Opened in 2017 with 11 halls.

  • MATRADE Exhibition and Convention Centre

    Next door to MITEC.

  • World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur

    Takes up to 3,000 guests in its largest hall, Dewan Merdeka.

  • Putrajaya International Convention Centre

    Outside the city limits, 25 km to the south, with a plenary hall for 3,000.

  • Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre

    Outside the city limits, in Selangor.

Hotel ballrooms, such as the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, host congresses and association meetings. The KLIA Ekspres train links Kuala Lumpur International Airport with KL Sentral in 28 minutes.

Simultaneous interpretation equipment and technical support

For interpretation equipment rent in Kuala Lumpur we supply:

  • Soundproof booths
  • Interpreter consoles and headsets
  • Infrared or FM systems
  • Wireless receivers for delegates
  • Portable systems for tours and small rooms
  • Technicians on site

The full range is described on our interpretation equipment page.

In Kuala Lumpur the equipment is supplied by our own Malaysia office, together with the interpreters. Our technical team sets up, tests and monitors the system from rehearsal to the last session, so interpreters and technicians work together from setup through the final session.

Equipment needs vary widely in scale and specification, from a boardroom meeting to a summit hall with several languages. We match the booths and receivers to the venue and the number of listeners, and we can provide professional, market-standard equipment and technical support for each event.

Additional peripherals such as microphones, projectors, screens and voting devices can also be provided as part of a turnkey solution.

Interpreter console, headset and laptop on a desk inside a booth

Our work in Kuala Lumpur

  • Speaker at the podium of the Kuala Lumpur Summit

    Government of Malaysia

    At the Kuala Lumpur Summit in December 2019, Maven provided simultaneous interpretation for the Government of Malaysia. Eight interpreters worked in Turkish, Russian and Farsi for about 450 delegates from 52 countries. The team was assembled and briefed at short notice and worked alongside the event company's technical team.

  • Interpreters working in a booth during a conference session

    World Islamic Economic Forum

    For the World Islamic Economic Forum, Maven deployed 18 conference interpreters to cover all breakout sessions at the forums held in Malaysia between 2013 and 2017.

Questions about interpreters in Kuala Lumpur

Simultaneous interpretation for conferences and forums, consecutive interpretation for meetings and visits. Both formats can be delivered on-site, remote or in hybrid setups. For on-demand short interpretation needs we also offer phone interpreter services. Additionally AI interpretation is offered for clientele who prefer it.

Simultaneous interpretation: we cover the national language of Malaysia, Malay, and the most frequently required languages, with interpreters available locally in combination with English: Mandarin, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, French, Russian, Turkish, Farsi and others. Interpretation into other languages may require interpreters to travel from other cities or countries. Remote delivery can accommodate simultaneous interpretation into any major official language.

Consecutive interpretation: on-site, we can cover the most frequently required languages, with some limitations for rare and endangered languages. More choice is available if interpretation is provided remotely.

On-demand phone interpretation: we cover 350+ languages including endangered and rare dialects. The full list is on our languages page.

It depends on the number of languages, the length of the sessions and the number of rooms running at the same time. Simultaneous interpreters work in teams for each language. Our guide explains how many interpreters you need, and we confirm the team size once we have the program details.
Yes. Booths, consoles, receivers, portable systems and technicians come from our Kuala Lumpur office together with the interpreters. The equipment section above lists what can be supplied.
Yes. We cover the Klang Valley, including the Putrajaya International Convention Centre and the Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre in Selangor, as well as hotels, ministries, embassies, company offices and universities across the city.
Most of Maven's clients are UN agencies, intergovernmental organizations, governments, NGOs and international sports federations, and we also work for corporate clients. In Kuala Lumpur that means government bodies, UN agencies, NGOs, sports federations, event organizers and companies. Published examples include the Kuala Lumpur Summit 2019 for the Government of Malaysia and the World Islamic Economic Forum.
We’d need to know the required interpretation languages, the dates and the duration of interpretation on each day, the venue (for a physical event, the city or area is sufficient), the format (on-site, hybrid or remote) and the subject matter of your event. If you require equipment as well, we need to know the total number of delegates who will require interpretation.
The format (simultaneous or consecutive), the required languages, the duration (number of days or hours), the delivery mode (on-site, remote or hybrid) and the subject matter. Travel and per diem charges may apply if interpretation is required outside Kuala Lumpur.
Interpreters in simultaneous format require advance booking notice of 20 to 40 or more days, although we understand this is not always possible. In peak seasons with many events (such as summit weeks and large exhibitions), some interpreters are booked as early as six months in advance. Consecutive interpreters can be booked at much shorter notice.
We normally require advance payment to book interpreters, either full or partial. We can offer more flexible terms to selected and regular clients & UN.
Other locations
Interpretation in Singapore
Interpretation in Bangkok
Interpretation in Indianapolis
Interpretation in Dublin
Interpretation in Cork
Interpretation in Dubai
Interpretation in Abu Dhabi
Get in touch
Inquire
A woman sitting at a desk with a laptop and a pen.