This is a list of notable Malay people or notable people of Malay descent. 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 the Malay world.
This list also includes emigrant Malays and could be taken as a list of famous Malays.
- Anwar Fazal, consumer, environmental activist, health advocate
- Mazlan Othman, Malaysian astrophysicist who pioneered Malaysia's participation in Space exploration
- Shila Amzah, international Malaysian singer-songwriter
- Yuna, Malaysian singer
- Aliff Aziz, Singaporean singer
- Meria Aires, known as Maria, a Bruneian singer
- Jamal Abdillah, Malaysian singer
- Sudirman Arshad, Malaysian singer
- Yasmin Ahmad, Malaysian film director, film writer, scriptwriter
- Taufik Batisah, Singaporean singer
- Artika Sari Devi, Indonesian actress and model
- 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 (half-Sundanese)
- Nazril Irham, known as Ariel, Indonesian vocalist of Noah and actor
- Fauziah Latiff, Malaysian singer
- Sheila Majid, Malaysian singer
- Amy Mastura, Malaysian actress and singer
- M. Nasir, Singaporean poet, singer-songwriter, composer, producer, actor and film director
- 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
- Ikke Nurjanah, Indonesian dangdut singer and actress
- Anuar Zain, Malaysian singer
- Aziz M. Osman, Malaysian film director
- Fasha Sandha, Malaysian actress
- P. Ramlee, Malaysian singer, actor and film director
- Aziz Sattar, Malaysian actor
- Revalina S. Temat, Indonesian actress
- Hill Zaini, Bruneian singer and actor
- Evie Tamala, Indonesian dangdut singer and actress
- Pierre Andre, Malaysian actor
- Shaheizy Sam, Malaysian actor
- Aaron Aziz, Singaporean actor
- Aedy Ashraf, Malaysian actor
- Alif Satar, Malaysian singer, TV host and actor
- Syafiq Kyle, Malaysian actor
- Ayda Jebat, Malaysian singer and actress
- Juzzthin, Malaysian actor, rapper and TV host
- Syafiq Yusof, Malaysian actor, and film director
- Zizan Razak, Malaysian actor, and singer
- Aznil Nawawi, Malaysian TV host, singer and actor
- Iqram Dinzly, Malaysian actor
- Izzue Islam, Malaysian actor
- Amirul Asyhwad, Malaysian actor
- Amerul Affendi, Malaysian actor
- Dhia Azrai, Malaysian actor
- Muhammad Asyrof Al-Ghifari, Indonesian character actor, director, and writer
- 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, 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia
- Mukhriz Mahathir, Menteri Besar Of Kedah
- Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, Menteri Besar of Kelantan
- Mohd Ali Rustam, Yang di-Pertua Negeri and Chief Minister of Malacca
- Adnan Yaakob, Menteri Besar of Pahang
- Hamzah Haz, 9th Vice President of Indonesia
- Halimah Yacob, 8th President of Singapore
- Yusof Ishak, 1st President of Singapore
- Alex Noerdin, Governor of South Sumatra
- Dipa Nusantara Aidit, Chairman of the Communist Party of Indonesia
- Hatta Rajasa, Indonesian Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs
- Hamzah Haz, 9th Vice President of Indonesia
- Jimly Asshidiqie, Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court
- Marzuki Alie, Speaker of the House of Representatives
- Syamsul Arifin, Governor of North Sumatra
- Tantowi Yahya, Member of DPR RI
- Taufiq Kiemas, Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly
- Tito Karnavian, Minister of Home Affairs
- Zulfikar Achmad, Member of DPR RI
- Zulkifli Hasan, Minister of Trade
- Faiz Subri, Puskas Award winner
- Hafiz Hashim, former badminton player
- Roslin Hashim, former badminton player
- Jalani Sidek, former badminton player
- Misbun Sidek, former badminton player
- Rashid Sidek, former badminton player
- Razif Sidek, former badminton player
- Nur Izzuddin, badminton player
- Muhammad Haikal, badminton player
- Junaidi Arif, badminton player
- Zulfadli Zulkiffli, badminton player
- Misbun Ramdan Misbun, badminton player
- Siti Nurshuhaini, badminton player
- Myisha Mohd Khairul, badminton player
- Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh, football referee
- Mokhtar Dahari, former footballer
- Akmal Rizal, former footballer
- Nazmi Faiz Mansor, footballer
- Wan Kuzain, footballer
- Safawi Rasid, footballer
- Zafuan Azeman, footballer
- Akhyar Rashid, footballer
- Syahmi Safari, footballer
- Khairulazhan Khalid, footballer
- Zahril Azri, footballer
- Faisal Halim, footballer
- Mukhairi Ajmal, footballer
- Hakim Hassan, footballer
- Zikri Khalili, footballer
- Danial Asri, footballer
- Khuzaimi Piee, footballer
- Fazly Mazlan, footballer
- Syahir Bashah, footballer
- Sharul Nazeem, footballer
- Aliff Izwan, footballer
- Harith Haiqal, footballer
- Aliff Haiqal, footballer
- Hadi Fayyadh, footballer
- Luqman Hakim Shamsudin, footballer
- Arif Aiman Hanapi, footballer
- Sikh Izhan Nazrel, footballer
- Syaahir Saiful, footballer
- Syamer Kutty Abba, footballer
- Adam Nor Azlin, footballer
- Nor Azam Azih, footballer
- Danial Amier Norhisham, footballer
- Haqimi Azim Rosli, footballer
- Asyraaf Omar, footballer
- Fauzan Fauzi, footballer
- Tasnim Fitri, footballer
- Khairu Azrin Khazali, footballer
- Latiff Suhaimi, footballer
- Hafiy Haikal, footballer
- Fandi Othman, footballer
- Syazwan Andik, footballer
- Syazwan Zainon, footballer
- Nik Azli, footballer
- Ariff Ar-Rasyid, footballer
- Raoul Suhaimi, footballer
- Khairin Nadim, footballer
- Aqil Yazid, footballer
- Aizil Yazid, footballer
- Hami Syahin, footballer
- Amirul Adli, footballer
- Afiq Noor, footballer
- Shahfiq Ghani, footballer
- Safuwan Baharudin, footballer
- Shakir Hamzah, footballer
- Faris Ramli, footballer
- Iryan Fandi, footballer
- Ilhan Fandi, footballer
- Ikhsan Fandi, footballer
- Irfan Fandi, footballer
- Zulfahmi Arifin, footballer
- Zainol Gulam, footballer
- Zaiful Nizam, footballer
- Khairul Nizam, footballer
- Iqram Rifqi, footballer
- Ilhan Noor, footballer
- Sahil Suhaimi, footballer
- Hazzuwan Halim, footballer
- Adam Swandi, footballer
- Shah Shahiran, footballer
- Izwan Mahbud, footballer
- Shawal Anuar, footballer
- Syazwan Buhari, footballer
- Ryaan Sanizal, footballer
- Amirul Haikal, footballer
- Harith Kanadi, footballer
- Eddy Shahrol Omar, footballer
- Hakeme Yazid Said, footballer
- Nazhan Zulkifle, footballer
- Wafi Aminuddin, footballer
- Alinur Rashimy Jufri, footballer
- Hanif Farhan Azman, footballer
- Nur Asyraffahmi Norsamri, footballer
- Abdul Hariz Herman, footballer
- Ishyra Asmin Jabidi, footballer
- Haimie Abdullah Nyaring, footballer
- Faiq Bolkiah, footballer
- Haziq Kasyful Azim Hasimulabdillah, footballer
- Nazirrudin Ismail, footballer
- Hanif Hamir, footballer
- Yura Indera Putera Yunos, footballer
- Asnawi Syazni Abdul Aziz, footballer
- Abdul Khair Basri, footballer
- Shafie Effendy, footballer
- Khairil Shahme Suhaimi, footballer
- Nurikhwan Othman, footballer
- Azwan Ali Rahman, footballer
- Hazwan Hamzah, footballer
- Afi Aminuddin, footballer
- Abdul Mu'iz Sisa, footballer
- Amirul Hakeem Kasim, footballer
- Razimie Ramlli, footballer
- Adi Said, footballer
- Hamizan Aziz Sulaiman, footballer
- Maududi Hilmi Kasmi, footballer
- Fakharrazi Hassan, footballer
- Hendra Azam Idris, footballer
- Azwan Saleh, footballer
- Najib Tarif, footballer
- Abdul Azizi Ali Rahman, footballer
- Helmi Zambin, footballer
- Azlan Iskandar, squash player
- Addeen Idrakie, squash player
- Mohd Syafiq Kamal, squash player
- Mohamed Fairuz Fauzy, race car driver
- Jazeman Jaafar, race car driver
- Nazim Azman, race car driver
- Nabil Jeffri, race car driver
- Syarifuddin Azman, motorcycle racing
- Hafizh Syahrin, motorcycle racing
- Zulfahmi Khairuddin, motorcycle racing
- Adam Norrodin, motorcycle racing
- Khairul Idham Pawi, motorcycle racing
- Ramdan Rosli, motorcycle racing
- Kasma Daniel, motorcycle racing
- Zaqhwan Zaidi, motorcycle racing
- Hafiza Rofa, motorcycle racing
- Hafiq Azmi, motorcycle racing
- Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, motorcycle racing
- Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom, track cycling
- Azizulhasni Awang, track cycling
- Fandi Ahmad, former FC Groningen player and Singapore's footballing legend
- Al-Qaasimy Rahman, former footballer
- Aniq Kasdan, weightlifter
- Aznil Bidin, weightlifter
- Muhd Azeem Fahmi, sprinter
- Nor Sarah Adi, pole vaulter
- Khairul Hafiz Jantan, sprinter
- Irfan Shamsuddin, discus throw
- Ziyad Zolkefli, shot put
- Juni Karimah Noor Jamali, sailor
- Nur Shazrin Mohd Latif, sailor
- Nuraisyah Jamil, sailor
- Khairulnizam Mohd Afendy, sailor