List of Malaysians
This is a list of Malaysians, people who are identified with Malaysia through residential, legal, historical or cultural means, grouped by their area of notability.
By ethnicity or place of origin
- Malaysians of Malay descent
- Malaysians of Chinese descent
- Malaysians of Indian descent
By Malaysian state
- Johor
- Kedah
- Kelantan
- Kuala Lumpur
- Malacca
- Negeri Sembilan
- Pahang
- Penang
- Perak
- Perlis
- Sabah
- Sarawak
- Selangor
- Terengganu
- Foreign-born Malaysians
Academicians
- Wang Gungwu
- Khoo Kay Kim
- Wu Teh Yao
- Afifi al-Akiti
- Khasnor Johan, historian
- Chin Liew Ten
- Jomo Kwame Sundaram
- Danny Quah
- Ungku Abdul Aziz
- Lee Poh Ping
Architects
Artists
Businesspeople
- Tan Hiok Nee
- Chung Keng Quee
- Foo Choo Choon
- Tan Chay Yan
- Cheah Cheang Lim
- Loh Boon Siew
- Lim Goh Tong
- Choong Chin Liang
- Robert Kuok
- Teh Hong Piow
- Ananda Krishnan
- Azman Hashim
- Quek Leng Chan
- Jeffrey Cheah Fook Ling
- Vincent Tan Chee Yioun
- Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary
- Lim Kok Thay
- Tony Fernandes
- William Cheng
- Shoba Purushothaman
- Shah Hakim Zain
- Halim Saad
- Saleh Sulong
- Lillian Too
- Yeoh Tiong Lay
- Francis Yeoh
- Daim Zainuddin
- Kong Hon Kong
- Armin Baniaz Pahamin
- Ramly bin Mokni
Designers
- Zang Toi, fashion designer, won the Mouton-Cadet Young Designers Award in 1991, was awarded the title of Datuk by the King of Malaysia in 2013
- Jimmy Choo, shoe designer, best known for co-founding Jimmy Choo Ltd, which became known for its handmade women's shoes
- Melinda Looi, fashion designer
- Bernard Chandran, fashion designer
- Poesy Liang, interdisciplinary artist, jewellery designer, luxury lifestyle designer
Inventors
- Yi Ren Ng, inventor of the Lytro
Entertainers
- Michelle Yeoh, Hollywood actress
- Ah Niu, Malaysian Chinese singer
- Angelica Lee, Malaysian Chinese film actress and pop singer
- Imee Ooi
- Shila Amzah, international Malaysian singer-songwriter
- Gary Chaw, Malaysian Chinese singer-songwriter
- Joyce Chu,Malaysian Chinese singer-songwriter
- Yasmin Ahmad, film director
- Stacy Angie
- Francissca Peter
- Jamal Abdillah
- Sudirman Arshad
- Loganathan Arumugam
- David Arumugam, founding member of the Alleycats
- Awal Ashaari
- Alvin Anthons
- Asmawi bin Ani
- Ahmad Azhar
- Ning Baizura
- Kasma Booty
- Marion Caunter, host of One In A Million and the 8TV Quickie
- Ella
- Erra Fazira
- Sean Ghazi
- Fauziah Latiff
- Daniel Lee Chee Hun
- Fish Leong
- Sheila Majid
- Amy Mastura
- M. Nasir
- Meor Aziddin Yusof
- Dayang Nurfaizah
- Shanon Shah
- Siti Nurhaliza
- Misha Omar
- Hani Mohsin
- Aziz M. Osman
- Azmyl Yunor
- P. Ramlee
- Aziz Sattar
- Fasha Sandha
- Aznil Nawawi
- Din Beramboi
- Nicholas Teo
- Pete Teo
- Penny Tai
- Hannah Tan
- Jaclyn Victor
- Scha Alyahya
- Fazura
- Lisa Surihani
- Chef Wan
- Adira Suhaimi
- Michael Wong
- Victor Wong
- Ziana Zain
- Zee Avi
- Yuna
- Zamil Idris
- Neelofa
- Namewee
Military
- Tan Kee Soon, warrior and leader of Ngee Heng Kongsi, ordered the 4,000 members of its brotherhood to relocate in Johor
- Albert Kwok Fen Nam, warrior and leader of the "Kinabalu Guerrillas" against Japanese occupation
- Leftenan Adnan, warrior from Malaya, who fought the Japanese at the Battle of Pasir Panjang in Singapore
- Antanum, warrior from Sabah, Borneo
- Rentap, warrior from Sarawak
- Syarif Masahor, warrior from Sarawak
- Monsopiad, warrior from Sabah, Borneo
- Haji Abdul Rahman Limbong, warrior from Telemong, Terengganu
- Mat Salleh, warrior from Sabah, Borneo
- Rosli Dhobi, warrior from Sarawak
Sciences
- Lim Boon Keng, first Malayan to receive a Queen's Scholarship, gained admission to the University of Edinburgh and graduated in 1892 with a first class honours degree in medicine
- Wu Lien-teh, a Malaysian physician renowned for his work in public health, and the first Malayan nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1935
- Cheah Ming Tatt, biologist specializing in immunology and genetics, a recipient of Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Future Scientists Fellowship for his work on RNA splicing
- Shu Jie Lam, research chemist at University of Melbourne
- Siti Aisyah Alias, marine polar researcher and educator
Politicians
- Parameswara, founder of Sultanate of Malacca
- Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, first Prime Minister of Malaya and Malaysia
- Tun Leong Yew Koh – first Malacca Governor, only Chinese ever appointed as the Yang di-Pertua Negeri in Malaysia, co-founder and first Secretary-General of MCA
- Colonel Tun Sir Henry Lee Hau Shik, first Finance Minister of the Federation of Malaya and co-founded the Malaysian Chinese Association and Alliance Party
- Tun Dato Sir Tan Cheng Lock, founder and the first president of the Malayan Chinese Association
- Tun V. T. Sambanthan, founding fathers of Malaysia along with Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tan Cheng Lock
- Tun Abdul Razak, second Prime Minister
- Tun Hussein Onn, third Prime Minister
- Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, fourth and seventh Prime Minister, father of Modernisation
- Tun Haji Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, fifth Prime Minister
- Najib Tun Razak, sixth Prime Minister
- Muhyiddin Yassin, eighth prime minister
- Tun Tan Siew Sin, first Minister of Commerce and Industry, Finance Minister for 15 years
- Tun Dato' Seri Lim Chong Eu, Chief Minister of Penang from 1969 to 1990, was termed as the "Architect of Modern Penang"
- Tun Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, one of the longest-serving ministers in the country and a highly revered statesman by the public
- Tan Sri Dato' Lee San Choon, held various ministerial posts in the cabinet from 1969 to 1983, such as Labour and Manpower Minister, Works and Public Utilities Minister, as well as Transport Minister
- Tan Sri Dato' Seri Ong Ka Ting, former Housing and Local Government Minister from 1999 to 2008 and Acting Transport Minister from May to June 2003
- Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, Chief Minister of Penang from 1990 to 2008
- Anwar Ibrahim
- Wan Hisham Wan Salleh
- Nik Aziz Nik Mat
- Raja Nong Chik Zainal Abidin, Federal Territory and Urban Well-being Minister 2010
- Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, 12th Deputy Prime Minister
- Karpal Singh
- Lim Kit Siang
- Lim Guan Eng
- Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah
Religious
- Ven. Dr. Kirinde Sri Dhammananda Nāyaka Thero, Buddhist monk and scholar, often regarded as Chief High Priest of Malaysia and Singapore
- Ven. Sujiva, well-known teacher of Vipassana in the Theravāda Buddhist Tradition
- Ven. Chi Chern, well-known Buddhist monk and principal of the Malaysian Buddhist Institute.
- Antony Selvanayagam, Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Penang
- Anthony Soter Fernandez, Archbishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, and Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Penang
- Gregory Yong, Second Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore
- Murphy Nicholas Xavier Pakiam, Metropolitan archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei; and publisher of the Catholic weekly newspaper, The Herald
- Ng Moon Hing, fourth and current Anglican Bishop of West Malaysia
Sportspeople
Squash
- Nicol Ann David
- Ong Beng Hee
- Azlan Iskandar
- Low Wee Wern
Badminton
- Lee Zii Jia, men's single
- Lee Chong Wei, men's single
- Goh Jin Wei, women's single
- Wong Pei Tty, women's doubles
- Choong Tan Fook, men's doubles
- Lee Wan Wah, men's doubles
- Tan Boon Heong, men's doubles
- Tan Wee Kiong, men's doubles
- Goh V Shem, men's doubles
- Goh Liu Ying, mixed doubles
- Chan Peng Soon, mixed doubles
Retired
- Chong Wei Feng
- Chin Eei Hui
- Chew Choon Eng
- Chan Chong Ming
- Muhammad Hafiz Hashim
- Koo Kien Keat
- Roslin Hashim
- Wong Choong Hann
- Lee Chong Wei
- Tan Aik Huang
- Eddy Choong
- Punch Gunalan
- Yap Kim Hock
- Foo Kok Keong
- Jalani Sidek
- Misbun Sidek
- Rashid Sidek
- Razif Sidek
- Cheah Soon Kit
- Lee Wan Wah
Football (soccer)
- Samransak Kram, Perlis FA and former Malaysian player
- Manopsak Kram, Pos Malaysia FC
- Brendan Gan Seng Ling, Sydney FC, Sabah FA, Kelantan FA
- Hattaphon Bun An, M3 League club, Langkawi Glory United.
- Wan Kuzri Wan Kamal, Saint Louis, Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C.
- Matthew Davies, Perth Glory FC, Pahang FC
- Shaun Maloney, Wigan Athletic
- Akmal Rizal, Perak FA, Kedah FA, RC Strasbourg, FCSR Haguenau
- Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, Kelantan FA, Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C.
- Khairul Fahmi Che Mat, Kelantan FA
- Mohd Safiq Rahim, Selangor FA, Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C.
- Mohd Fadzli Saari, Selangor FA, PBDKT T-Team FC, SV Wehen
- Rudie Ramli, Selangor FA, PKNS F.C., SV Wehen
- Mohd Safee Mohd Sali, Sarawak FA, Selangor FA, Pelita Jaya, Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C.
- Chun Keng Hong, Penang FA, Chanthaburi F.C.
- Baddrol Bakhtiar, Kedah FA
- Mohd Khyril Muhymeen Zambri, Kedah FA
- Mohd Azmi Muslim, Kedah FA
- Mohd Fadhli Mohd Shas, Harimau Muda A, FC ViOn Zlaté Moravce, Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C.
- Mohd Irfan Fazail, Harimau Muda A, FC ViOn Zlaté Moravce, Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C.
- Wan Zack Haikal Wan Noor, Harimau Muda A, FC ViOn Zlaté Moravce, F.C. Ryūkyū, Kelantan FA
- Nazirul Naim Che Hashim, Harimau Muda A, F.C. Ryūkyū, Perak FA
- Khairul Izuan Rosli, Sarawak FA, Persibo Bojonegoro, PDRM FA
- Stanley Bernard Stephen Samuel, Sabah FA, Sporting Clube de Goa
- Nazmi Faiz, Harimau Muda A, SC Beira Mar, PKNS F.C., Selangor FA
- Ahmad Fakri Saarani, Perlis FA, Atlético S.C., Kelantan FA, Kedah FA
- Dhia Azrai Naim Rosman, Hougang United, Young Lions
Retired
- Serbegeth Singh, owner/founder of MyTeam, Blackburn Rovers F.C.
- Mokhtar Dahari, former Selangor FA and Malaysian player
- Lim Teong Kim, former Hertha BSC player
- Matlan Marjan, former Sabah FA and Malaysian player
- Soh Chin Aun, former Selangor FA and Malaysian player
- Khairul Azman Mohamed, former Pahang FA, Sabah FA and Malaysian player
Racing
- Aaron Lim
- Tengku Djan Ley
- Mohamed Fairuz Fauzy
- Fariqe Hairuman
- Nandakumar Puspanathan
- Karamjit Singh
- Alex Yoong, ex-Formula One and A1 Grand Prix
- Shahrol Yuzy
- Zulfahmi Khairuddin
- Hafizh Syahrin
- Jazeman Jaafar
Others
- Pandelela Rinong, platform diving
- Jupha Somnet,, track cyclist
- Ng Joo Pong, retired cyclist
- M. Magendran, mountain climber, first Malaysian to conquer the summit of Mount Everest
- Mon Redee Sut Txi, archer
- Azizulhasni Awang, cyclist
- Iskhandar Syah , professional boxer, fight promoter
- Elaine Teoh Taekwondo
- Benedict Kwok student
Writers
Miscellaneous
- Anwar Fazal, consumer, environmental activist, health advocate
- Irene Fernandez, prominent Malaysian human rights activist
- Lat, famous cartoonist
- Norman Musa, chef/restaurateur
- Yong Mun Sen, pioneer artist, father of Malaysian paintings
- Ling Tan, international fashion model
- Noor Hisham Abdullah, director general of health