This is a list of notableMalay people or notable people of Malay descent. The Malay people are anethnic group in theMalay Peninsula and parts of nearby islands inSoutheast Asia.[1] Entries on this list are demonstrably notable by having a linked current article or reliable sources as footnotes against the name to verify they are notable and define themselves either full or partial Malay descent, whose ethnic origin lie in theMalay world.
This list also includes emigrant Malays and could be taken as a list of famous Malays.
- Anwar Fazal, consumer, environmental activist, health advocate
- Amir Ahnaf, Malaysian actor
- Aaron Aziz, Singaporean actor
- Aedy Ashraf, Malaysian actor
- Alif Satar, Malaysian singer, TV host and actor, 1/2 Malay
- Aznil Nawawi, Malaysian TV host, singer and actor
- Cico Harahap, Malaysian actor, 1/2 Batak, 1/2 Malay
- Dini Schatzmann, Malaysian actor, 1/2 Malay 1/2 Switzerland Germans
- Iqram Dinzly, Malaysian actor
- Izzue Islam, Malaysian actor
- Pierre Andre, Malaysian actor
- Shaheizy Sam, Malaysian actor
- Syafiq Kyle, Malaysian actor
- Stephen Rahman-Hughes, Wales actor, 1/2 Malay
- Zizan Razak, Malaysian actor, and singer
- Asiah Aman, Singaporean actress and model, Singapore Hall of Fame 2022
- Artika Sari Devi, Indonesian actress and model
- Ayda Jebat, Malaysian singer and actress
- Fasha Sandha, Malaysian actress
- Heliza Helmi, Malaysian singer and activist
- Hazwani Helmi, Malaysian singer and activist
- Janna Nick, Malaysian actress, singer and producer, the most successful female singer in Malaysia in the early 2020s
- Liyana Fizi, Malaysian actress, singer and famous songwriter
- Mathira, Pakistan and Zimbabwean actress, 1/2 Malay
- Mishqah Parthiepal, South African actress, 1/4 Malay
- Maisie Conceição, Singaporean actress and singer, 1/4 Malay
- Revalina S. Temat, Indonesian actress
- Uji Rashid, Bruneian-Malay actress and singer
- Zizi Kirana, famous Malaysian actress and singer from Sabah region
- Mazlan Othman, Malaysian astrophysicist who pioneered Malaysia's participation in Space exploration
- P. Ramlee, Malaysian singer, actor and film director
- Jamil Sulong, Malaysian actor, film director and comic book artist
- M. Nasir, Singaporean poet, singer-songwriter, composer, producer, actor and film director
- Yasmin Ahmad, Malaysian film director, film writer, scriptwriter
- Aziz M. Osman, Malaysian film director
- Yusof Haslam, Malaysian actor and film director
- Syamsul Yusof, Malaysian actor and film director
- Syafiq Yusof, Malaysian actor and film director
- Nam Ron, Malaysian film director and producer
- Tunku Abdul Rahman, 1st Prime Minister of Malaysia
- Abdul Razak Hussein, 2nd Prime Minister of Malaysia
- Mahathir Mohamad, 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia
- Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia
- Najib Razak, 6th Prime Minister of Malaysia
- Muhyiddin Yassin, 8th Prime Minister of Malaysia
- Ismail Sabri Yaakob, 9th Prime Minister of Malaysia
- Anwar Ibrahim, 10thPrime Minister of Malaysia
- Ibrahim Mohammad Jaafar, 1st Brunei Chief Minister
- Marsal Maun, 2nd Brunei Chief Minister
- Pengiran Muhammad Yusuf, 3rd Brunei Chief Minister
- Pengiran Abdul Momin, 4th Brunei Chief Minister
- Abdul Aziz Umar, 5th Brunei Chief Minister
- Hassanal Bolkiah, 1st Brunei sovereign Prime Minister
- Hamzah Haz, 9th Vice President of Indonesia
- Raja Ali Haji, Johor Sultanate historian, poet and malay culture scholar, Malay royal family descent
- Amir Hamzah, Indonesian national hero and poet
- A. Samad Said, father of Malaysian National Literature
- Salmi Manja, Singaporean female poet, wife of Samad Said
- Keris Mas, Asas 50's literature movement founder
- Faisal Tehrani, Malaysian writer ofshia religion, Iranian maternal ancestry, Tehrani is his nisba' name
- Ishak Haji Muhammad, also known as Pak Sako, famous for his advocation ofMaphilindo movement
- Shahnon Ahmad, famous writer from Kedah
- Tenas Effendy, Indonesian historian, renowned figure from Pelalawan Kingdom
- Taufik Ikram Jamil, Indonesian historian from Bengkalis, Riau
- Jamil Al-Sufri, Brunei historian, part of royal family
- Andrea Hirata, Indonesian novelist from Bangka Belitung
- Tere Liye, Indonesian best seller novelist from Lahat, Sumatra Selatan
- Hill Zaini, Bruneian singer and actor
- Evie Tamala, Indonesian dangdut singer and actress
- Shila Amzah, international Malaysian singer-songwriter
- Taliep Petersen, South African guitarist
- Yuna, Malaysian singer
- Aliff Aziz, Singaporean singer
- Meria Aires, known as Maria, a Bruneian singer
- Jamal Abdillah, Malaysian singer
- Sudirman Arshad, Malaysian singer
- Taufik Batisah, Singaporean singer
- Zul F, Bruneian actor and singer
- Elyana, Malaysian singer and actress
- Erwin Gutawa, Indonesian composer
- Eqah, Bruneian singer
- Erra Fazira, Malaysian actress and singer
- Sean Ghazi, Malaysian singer and actor
- Gita Gutawa, Indonesian singer 1/2 Malay
- Fauziah Latiff, Malaysian singer
- Sheila Majid, Malaysian singer
- Amy Mastura, Malaysian actress and singer
- Noorhaqmal Mohamed Noor, known as Aqmal. N, a Singaporean singer and songwriter
- Siti Nordiana, Malaysian singer and actress
- Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysian top singer and actress 1/2 Malay
- Ikke Nurjanah, Indonesian dangdut singer and actress
- Azree Tuju, Bruneian-Malay hip-hop rapper
- Juzzthin, Malaysian rapper and TV host
- YoungstaCPT, South African hip-hop rapper
- Alex Noerdin, Governor ofSouth Sumatra
- Dipa Nusantara Aidit, Chairman of theCommunist Party of Indonesia
- Hatta Rajasa,Indonesian Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs
- Hamzah Haz, 9thVice President of Indonesia
- Jimly Asshidiqie,Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court
- Marzuki Alie,Speaker of the House of Representatives
- Syamsul Arifin, Governor ofNorth Sumatra
- Tantowi Yahya, Member ofDPR RI
- Taufiq Kiemas,Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly
- Tito Karnavian,Minister of Home Affairs
- Zulkifli Hasan,Minister of Trade
- Faiz Subri, Puskas Award winner
- Mokhtar Dahari, footballer, Top 10 Asian National Team Goal Scorer of All Time
- Faiq Bolkiah, footballer, Brunei national team, Top 10 Richest Footballer of All Time (2016–)
- Al-Qaasimy Rahman, Singapore footballer
- Supachai Jaided, Thailand footballer
- Airfan Doloh, Thailand footballer
- Ramadhan Sananta, Indonesian footballer
- Ali Bakar, Malaysian footballer
- Arif Aiman, Malaysian footballer
- Faisal Halim, Malaysian footballer
- Zafuan Azeman, Malaysian footballer
- Danial Asri, Malaysian footballer
- Khuzaimi Piee, Malaysian footballer
- Tasnim Fitri, Malaysian footballer
- Hardi Bujang, Bruneian footballer
- Shah Razen, Bruneian footballer
- Hakeme Yazid Said, Bruneian footballer
- Yura Indera Putera Yunos, Bruneian footballer
- Adnan bin Saidi (1915-1942), warrior from mainland Malaya
- Syarif Masahor, warrior from Sarawak
- Dato' Bahaman, warrior from Semantan, Pahang
- Tok Gajah, warrior from Raub, Pahang
- Mat Kilau, warrior from Jerantut, Pahang
- Pawang Nong, warrior from Jerantut, Pahang
- ^"Malay".Britannica. 2025-02-20. Retrieved2025-03-10.
