Learning Malay doesn’t have to be a challenging endeavor. Whether you learn best by reading, watching, listening, or speaking, there are resources out there which can help you achieve your goal of comprehending like a local. This list will be updated as new resources are discovered, so make sure to check back regularly for your language-learning and entertainment needs!
Jump ahead:
Novels featuring Malaysia (English):
While Malaysia has many homegrown authors filling up its bookstores, it can be quite difficult to find these books outside of the country. Below are some handpicked novels written by Malaysian authors which have enjoyed international success. While these books were written originally in English, they are still a great cultural resource and can teach plenty about Malaysia’s rich traditions and heritage. As an added bonus, all of the below authors have written multiple books, so more fun awaits!
Click the book titles to be taken to their respective page on GoodReads.
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
REVIEW NEEDED
The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf
REVIEW NEEDED
Black Water Sister by Zen Cho
Jessamyn (Jess), our Malaysian Chinese protagonist, must learn to adapt to her new home of Penang, Malaysia after returning from spending her entire youth in America. Not only does she need to learn to adapt to a brand new culture with all its intricacies, she suddenly has the unwanted ability of hearing a new voice in her head – her strict, old-school grandma’s voice. A fun story filled with supernatural twists, this was an enjoyable read which really shows the challenges and triumphs of returning to one’s roots.
21 Immortals: Inspector Mislan and the Yee Sang Murders by Rozlan Mohd Noor
A gritty, noir-ish detective thriller, the introduction to Inspector Mislan of the KL police force was an exciting story from start to finish. Written by a former crime investigator, this story plays out like a police procedural drama you might catch on tv. Follow along as Inspector Mislan navigates the gangster-filled underworld of KL tries to figure out who killed prominent fashion tycoon Robert Tham, all while fending off the media, possibly corrupt higher-ups, and dealing with his own personal affairs. A fun read overall and the start of a series, so if you like Inspector Mislan you can follow his adventures over (currently) 8 books!
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
REVIEW NEEDED
The Malayan Trilogy by Anthony Burgess
This collection of novels wasn’t written by a Malaysian, but rather the (now) famous British author, more commonly known for works such as A Clockwork Orange and Napoleon Symphony. These three novels (Time for a Tiger, The Enemy in the Blanket, and Beds in the East) were Burgess’s first published pieces of fiction, and were written during his time living as a teacher in British Malaya. Burgess became fluent in Malay during his tenure in Malaya, and wrote and spoke fondly of the people he met during these times.
Often times incredibly witty and with a great insight on political and racial attitudes in colonial Malaya, I highly recommend these books. Though they can certainly be enjoyed without prior knowledge of Malay and Malaysian culture, you’ll certainly be able to understand many of the puns and plentiful wordplay more clearly with said knowledge. The trilogy can also be found under the title The Long Day Wanes.
Malaysian History Books:
Interested in learning more about Malaysia and its role in Asian and World history? These are some of my favorite books on the topic – filled to the brim with information but never dry!
Crossroads: A Popular History of Malaysia and Singapore by Jim Baker
REVIEW NEEDED
A History of Malaysia by Barbara and Leonard Andaya
REVIEW NEEDED
Movies and Television:
Malaysia produces tons of entertainment content across many genres, but it particularly excels in two categories: Animation and Horror films. Below are some online resources where you can find all sorts of streaming entertainment. Note that many of the shows and movies have a strong element of Islamic culture baked in, due to the heavy influence of Islam in Malaysia.
Pro-tip: You can also find plenty of material available on popular streaming services (such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.) simply by searching on their site/app “Malaysian”. Due to regional variations in available content, it is impossible for me to list what may be available to you, but try searching and try your luck at the results!
Free Streaming:
TeleMovie Melayu on YouTube
One of my favorite youtube channels, this provides plenty of Malaysian made-for-tv movies completely free and in their full form (sometimes as a playlist). Though not all of the films have English subtitles, these films are both entertaining and culturally educational. Most of these films were produced by TV1 and TV2.
Tv3 Malaysia on YouTube
Tv3 (pronounced teevee tiga) is one of the biggest channels in Malaysia. Broadcasting throughout the day with a mix of cartoons, dramas, made-for-tv movies, news, and special-interest programs, this is an invaluable resource for both general entertainment as well as understanding what is important in Malaysia today. Highly recommended!
Didi & Friends on YouTube (mostly for kids but still fun)
Very fun channel about 3 chicken pals Didi, Nana, and Jojo. Filled with plenty of fun and catchy songs, your kids (or kid at heart) will love watching and listening. The videos can also be found in English here.
Omar & Hana on YouTube (Islamic kids songs)
Omar & Hana is a wonderful show which depicts the daily lives of our two youngsters Omar and Hana, as they live and learn amongst their family and friends. All of the catachy songs feature Islamic lessons and values, and you may even see Didi & Friends pop up in some episodes. Episodes in English can also be found here.
Upin & Ipin on YouTube (also for kids but still fun)
Upin & Ipin depicts the daily lives of twins Upin and Ipin as they grow up in a typical Malaysian kampung, or village. They live with their sister Kak Ros and grandmother Opah, and they go to school, play around the house, and explore the slow-paced yet still exciting kampung. One of Malaysia’s most well-known cartoons (including movies and currently on season 19!), this show is a must if you want to see traditional Malaysian village life.
Les’ Copaque Productions on YouTube (Malaysian Animation Studio)
One of Malaysia’s biggest animation studios, responsible for Upin & Ipin among other shows, Les’ Copaque is a homegrown success story. I am including their official youtube page here because they also have uploaded videos of their other big project, Pada Zaman Dahulu. This fun show teaches Malaysian fables starring the mighty mousedeer, or kancil, an important character in the mythology of the funding of Malaysia. Sang Kancil is very clever and uses his wits to solve problems for the other animals in the jungle. This story has also received a movie, Dongeng Sang Kancil, which is sometimes available on Netflix.
Language Resources:
Because Malay is considered more of a niche language compared to some of the more common ones, there is a smaller pool of resources available for language-learners. That being said, there are still valuable resources available at both the free and paid level – you just need to look a little harder to find them. Here are some resources I have collected over the years, categorized by free or paid. I have not used all of them, and will indicate those which I have or have not used. I can therefore only recommend some – not all – of the resources.