5 Global Stars You Didn’t Realise Have Deep Malaysian Roots
From Bic Runga to the late Godfrey Gao, Malaysia’s cultural footprint expands far beyond its physical borders.
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Malaysia has a unique way of weaving its spirit into the global entertainment fabric. While many international stars seem entirely detached from Southeast Asia, look a little closer at their biographies and you will find an unmistakable Malaysian connection. Whether born in the coastal towns of Borneo, raised in the culinary capital of Ipoh, or born to Malaysian parents who emigrated across the globe, these artists carry a piece of the nation with them.
Here are five world-class artistes who prove that Malaysian ties run deep on the global stage.
Bic Runga
The celebrated New Zealand singer-songwriter, universally recognised for her gorgeous 1997 indie-pop anthem “Sway,” owes much of her musical lineage to Malaysia.
Bic was born and raised in Christchurch, New Zealand, but her mother, Sophia Tang, was a Chinese-Malaysian lounge and cabaret singer. Her parents’ love story began in Ipoh, Perak, in the 1960s, when her Māori father, an ex-serviceman, met her mother while on leave. The couple later immigrated to New Zealand to start their family.
Growing up, Bic and her sisters were surrounded by their mother’s musical influence. Bic has frequently noted in interviews that her mother’s background as a professional vocalist in Malaysia heavily shaped her own vocal styling and appreciation for performance, transforming the Runga household into a multi-generational musical powerhouse.
Guy Sebastian
As the historic winner of the very first season of Australian Idol in 2003, Guy Theodore Sebastian has cemented himself as one of Australia’s most enduring pop and R&B icons.
Some of his biggest hits include Battle Scars which was a rap-infused collaboration with American rapper Lupe Fiasco, and his breakout ballad Angels Brought Me Here.
However, before he was topping the Australian charts and serving as a coach on The Voice Australia, Sebastian’s life began in Klang, Selangor. He was born there in 1981 to an English mother and a Malaysian-born father of Ceylonese (Sri Lankan) descent.
Sebastian spent his early childhood years growing up in Malaysia, absorbing the local culture before his family made the pivotal decision to emigrate to Adelaide, South Australia, when he was six years old. Despite building his life and career down under, the singer has always proudly acknowledged his birth country and the multicultural heritage that shaped his early childhood.
Che’Nelle
Known to her global fanbase as the “Princess of Love” for her chart-topping, emotional ballads, contemporary R&B sensation Che’Nelle boasts an incredibly diverse heritage rooted in East Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Malaysian club-goers might remember her 2007 hit song I Fell In Love With The DJ with Jamaican dance-hall singer Cham.
Born Cheryline Ernestine Lim, the singer-songwriter was born in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, to a Chinese-Malaysian father and a mother of mixed Indian and Dutch descent. Her earliest memories of music are tied to Malaysia, where her father owned a local karaoke lounge. She spent her early childhood years humming along to tracks and discovering her voice in Sabah before relocating to Perth, Western Australia, at the age of ten.
Che’Nelle eventually caught the attention of Virgin Records via MySpace and exploded onto the international scene, finding massive, multi-platinum success in Japan and the United States. She frequently attributes her incredible stylistic versatility and deep love for singing to those formative years spent in her father’s Sabah karaoke spot.
Fish Leong
Within the massive universe of Mandopop, few voices are as recognisable or deeply cherished as Fish Leong’s.
Hailing from Bahau, Negeri Sembilan, Leong Chui Peng is an authentic, homegrown Malaysian talent who went on to capture the hearts of millions across Asia. She was discovered in a Malaysian singing competition by legendary Taiwanese producer Jonathan Lee, which launched her journey toward regional superstardom in the late 1990s.
Dubbed the “Asian Queen of Love Songs,” Leong has sold out stadiums in Taiwan, mainland China, Hong Kong, and global diaspora hubs for over two decades. Despite her towering status in the international Chinese music industry, she remains incredibly close to her roots, frequently returning to Malaysia and proudly representing the country’s immense singing talent on the world stage.
Godfrey Gao
The late, trailblazing Taiwanese-Canadian actor and supermodel Godfrey Gao made history as the first Asian male face of Louis Vuitton and captivated Hollywood audiences as Magnus Bane in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.
While Gao was born in Taipei and raised in Vancouver, his maternal roots trace directly back to the historic streets of George Town, Penang. His mother was a Peranakan woman from Penang who won the Miss Penang tourism pageant in her youth before marrying his Taiwanese father.
Gao frequently visited Malaysia throughout his life to visit extended family, often expressing a deep fondness for Penang’s world-famous street food culture and heritage. His striking looks and gentle demeanour made him a beloved figure across Asia and the West, beautifully bridging his Taiwanese, Canadian, and Malaysian identities.
Sadly, Gao passed away at the age of 35 years old in 2019 after he collapsed from a sudden cardiac arrest while filming a physically demanding sports reality show called Chase Me in Ningbo, China.
Bonus: James Wan
While the other entries on this list have conquered the microphone or the camera, James Wan has conquered the director’s chair, cementing himself as one of the most commercially successful filmmakers in modern Hollywood history.
The mastermind behind the multi-billion-dollar Saw franchise, The Conjuring universe, and DC’s Aquaman blockbusters was born in Kuching, Sarawak. Born to Chinese-Malaysian parents, Wan spent his early childhood in the capital of Sarawak before his family relocated to Perth, Australia, when he was seven years old.
Wan’s early exposure to diverse cultural ghost stories and Asian horror tropes during his early childhood years in Malaysia arguably sowed the seeds for his legendary career in Hollywood horror. Today, he stands as one of the most influential directors in the global film industry, proudly carrying his Kuching roots to the highest echelons of cinema.
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