“Memainkan peranan afdal” means playing the most appropriate or better role , with afdal meaning “more proper,” “better,” or “more preferable” in Malay/Indonesian usage.

Meaning in context

  • memainkan peranan = “to play a role”.
  • afdal = “lebih utama,” “lebih baik,” or “more preferred/most appropriate”.

So the phrase usually implies:

  • doing your role in the best way,
  • taking the more suitable responsibility,
  • or being the preferred person for that role.

Simple example

  • “Ibu ayah memainkan peranan afdal dalam mendidik anak” means parents have the most important or best-suited role in educating children.

Plain-English paraphrase

You could also understand it as:

  • “playing the best role,”
  • “fulfilling the role properly,” or
  • “taking the more important role”.

Note on wording

If the phrase sounds unusual in your sentence, it may be a slightly awkward mix. In many cases, people would say:

  • memainkan peranan utama ,
  • memainkan peranan yang lebih afdal , or
  • memainkan peranan dengan lebih baik.

TL;DR: “Memainkan peranan afdal” means “playing the more important / more proper / best-suited role.”