This is the 133rd most frequent Malay word.
pulau
Island.
In this sentence, 'pulau' refers to a tropical island, which is a physical piece of land surrounded by water.
Saya bercuti di sebuah pulau tropikal.
I am vacationing on a tropical island.
Here, 'pulau' is used to refer to landmasses that are bordered or surrounded by water.
Malaysia terdiri daripada dua pulau utama dan beberapa pulau kecil.
Malaysia consists of two main landmasses and several smaller islands.
In this context, 'pulau' refers to a safe haven—a place surrounded by water.