List of Malaysians
This is a list of famous or notable Malaysians, sorted alphabetically by their last names or surnames within categories.
By ethnicity or place of origin
List of People by Malaysian State
List of People By Occupation
Academia
- Afifi al-Akiti
- Khasnor Johan, historian
- Khoo Kay Kim
- Jomo Kwame Sundaram
- Danny Quah
- Harith Ahmad
- Ungku Abdul Aziz
Architects
Artists
Business
- Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary (born 1956)
- Tan Sri Dato' Loh Boon Siew (1915–1995)
- Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah
- Tan Sri William Cheng
- Dato' Choong Chin Liang (born 1920)
- Tan Sri Dato' Tony Fernandes (born 1964)
- Lim Goh Tong (1918–2007)
- Maria Rufina Mariasoosai (born 1966)
- Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King
- Haizar Ajaz (born 1981)
- Chung Keng Quee (1827–1901)
- Tan Sri Ananda Krishnan (born 1938)
- Robert Kuok (born 1923)
- Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan (born 1941)
- Shoba Purushothaman
- Shah Hakim Zain
- Halim Saad
- Tan Sri Mohd Saleh Sulong
- Tan Sri Vincent Tan (born 1952)
- Lillian Too (born 1946)
- Tan Sri Dr.Francis Yeoh
- Tun Daim Zainuddin (born 1938)
- Tan Sri Kong Hon Kong
Designers
- Bernard Chandran, fashion designer
- Jimmy Choo, (born 1961), shoe designer
- Poesy Liang (born 1975), artist, writer, philanthropist, jewellery designer, industrial designer, interior architect, music composer
Inventors
- Yi Ren Ng, inventor of the Lytro
Entertainers
- Shila Amzah (born 1990), international Malaysian singer-songwriter
- Yasmin Ahmad (1958–2009), film director
- Stacy Angie
- Francissca Peter (born 1961)
- Jamal Abdillah (born 1959)
- Sudirman Arshad (1954–1992)
- Loganathan Arumugam (died 2007)
- Datuk David Arumugam Alleycats
- Awal Ashaari
- Alvin Anthons (born 1976)
- Asmawi bin Ani (born 1981)
- Ahmad Azhar (born 1968)
- Ning Baizura (born 1975)
- Kasma Booty (died 2007)
- Marion Caunter, host of One In A Million and the 8TV Quickie
- Ella (born 1966)
- Erra Fazira (born 1974)
- Sean Ghazi (born 1969)
- Fauziah Latiff (born 1970)
- Angelica Lee (born 1976)
- Daniel Lee Chee Hun (born 1983)
- Fish Leong (born 1983)
- Sheila Majid (born 1965)
- Amy Mastura (born 1971)
- Mohamad Nasir Mohamad (born 1957)
- Maria Rufina Mariasoosai (born 1966)
- Shathiyah Kristian (born 1984)
- Meor Aziddin Yusof (born 1967)
- Ah Niu (born 1976)
- Dayang Nurfaizah (born 1981)
- Shanon Shah (born 1978)
- Siti Nurhaliza (born 1979)
- Misha Omar (born 1982)
- Hani Mohsin (1965–2006)
- Aziz M. Osman (born 1962)
- Azmyl Yunor (born 1977)
- P. Ramlee (born 1929)
- Aziz Sattar (born 1925)
- Fasha Sandha (born 1984)
- Nicholas Teo (born 1981)
- Pete Teo
- Penny Tai (born 1978)
- Hannah Tan (born 1981)
- Jaclyn Victor (born 1978)
- Chef Wan
- Adira Suhaimi
- Michael Wong (born 1970)
- Victor Wong (born 1972)
- Dato' Michelle Yeoh, Hollywood actress (born 1962)
- James Wan, director of Hollywood films like several 'Saw' films, Insidious, The Conjuring, Fast and Furious 7 (born 1977)
- Ziana Zain (born 1968)
- Zee Avi
- Yunalis Zarai
- Zamil Idris (born 1978)
Military
- Leftenan Adnan (1915–1942), warrior from mainland Malaya
- 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
Politicians
- Parameswara, founder of Sultanate of Malacca
- Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, first Prime Minister of independent Malaya
- Tun Abdul Razak, second Prime Minister
- V. T. Sambanthan, founding fathers of Malaysia along with Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tan Cheng Lock
- Tun Dato Sir Tan Cheng Lock, founder of MCA
- Tun Hussein Onn, third Prime Minister
- Mahathir Mohammad, fourth Prime Minister, father of Modernisation
- Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, fifth Prime Minister, since 2003
- Najib Tun Razak, current Prime Minister, since 2009
- Dato' Seri Ong Ka Ting
- Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim
- Dato' Wan Hisham Wan Salleh
- Nik Aziz Nik Mat
- Raja Nong Chik Zainal Abidin, Federal Territory and Urban Wellbeing Minister 2010
- Wan Azizah Wan Ismail
- Karpal Singh
- Lim Kit Siang
- Lim Guan Eng
- Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah
Religious
- 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 (1925–2008), Second Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore
- Tan Sri Datuk 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
- Datuk Ng Moon Hing, fourth and current Anglican Bishop of West Malaysia.
Sportspeople
Squash
Badminton
- Chan Chong Ming (men's doubles)
- Dato' Lee Chong Wei(men's single)
- Chew Choon Eng (men's doubles)
- Wong Choong Hann
- Chin Eei Hui (women's doubles)
- Hafiz Hashim
- Roslin Hashim
- Wong Pei Tty (women's doubles)
- Choong Tan Fook (men's doubles)
- Lee Wan Wah (men's doubles)
- Koo Kien Keat (men's doubles)
- Tan Boon Heong (men's doubles)
Retired
- 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)
- Brendan Gan, Sydney FC, Sabah FA, Kelantan FA
- Junior Eldstål, Sarawak FA, 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.
- 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 Abdullah, 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
- Chun Keng Hong, Penang FA, Chanthaburi F.C.
Retired
- Serbegeth Singh, owner/founder of MyTeam, Blackburn Rovers F.C., (Global dvisor)
- 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
- 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 (born 1993), diving
- Ng Joo Pong (born 1946), retired cyclist
- M. Magendran (born 1963), mountain climber, first Malaysian to conquer the summit of Mount Everest (1997)
- Mon Redee Sut Txi (born 1982), archer
- Azizulhasni Awang (born 1988), cyclist
- Iskhandar Syah (born 1980) (Tytus), professional boxer, fight promoter
Writers
- Shathiyah Kristian (born 1984) (Tamil & Malay)
Miscellaneous
- Anwar Fazal, consumer, environmental activist, health advocate
- Irene Fernandez, prominent Malaysian human rights activist
- Lat, famous cartoonist
- Reggie Lee, political cartoonist
- Norman Musa (born 1974), chef/restaurateur
- Yong Mun Sen (1896–1962), pioneer artist, father of Malaysian paintings
- Ling Tan (born 1974), international fashion model
