Everything about Malaysian Men: What to Expect in a Relationship with One
Men from Malaysia are charming and nice – but they can sometimes seem like a mystery box. You never know what’s really inside – but today we’ll change that with my in-depth guide to Malaysian men.
This article will provide genuine insights without sugar-coating, helping you navigate the nuances of a relationship with a Malaysian man.
Let’s dive into what you can expect when dating a man from Malaysia and navigate this experience with clarity!
The general looks of men from Malaysia
As a multiracial and multicultural country, Malaysia is composed of a variety of ethnic groups.
Most of them are bumiputera, or the native Malay people, followed by Chinese, and Indian. This means that they can look very different from one another.
But the majority of men from Malaysia will have shades of dark or tanned skin, dark brown eyes, dark wavy hair, and a shorter than average stature.
Those features I just described belong to the Malay people, or the indigenous people from the Borneo part of Malaysia.
When someone says Malaysia, you will probably picture a man with light brown skin and dark wavy hair wearing a high-collared shirt, a sarong, and a songkok hat. Or a similar-looking woman wearing a modest long-sleeved shirt and a headscarf.
Those are the typical looks of a Malaysian Muslim. As Islam is the official religion of this country, there is no doubt that you will often find people who dress in similar manners.
But you can also find people who dress more freely, and that’s because Malaysia offers freedom of religion to its people.
But just in case you find people who dress modestly, you can safely assume they are Muslim, though it may not be true all the time.
The minority ethnic groups in Malaysia can be found all over in every state. Being the second largest ethnic group, you may find a lot of Chinese Malaysians all over the country.
These people are descended from the Han people of China (learn more about the best dating site in China), and they have the typical East Asian features like pale skin, small eyes, high cheekbones, and flat noses.
You may also find Indian Malaysians with the typical features of a South Asian, like having dark brown skin, big brown eyes, dark wavy hair, and round faces. They are not as widely dispersed as Chinese Malaysians.
But there are areas with a highly-concentrated population of Indians such as the Selangor and Negeri Sembilan states. You can read more about Indian women in my previous guide.
Although these 3 ethnic groups look nothing like each other, there is always the possibility of finding someone who is a mix between Chinese and Malay, or Indian and Malay, or Chinese and Indian.
You can even find Malay-Caucasian guys like the Malaysian-born Hollywood actor, Henry Golding.
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Understanding Malaysian guys
Being an Asian country and having Islam as its official religion, it’s no wonder that Malaysia is deeply-rooted in patriarchy.
For the male population, this means that they are expected to be the dominant gender. They are indeed the active and leading gender in the government, society, and even in familial hierarchy.
Malaysia might be the only country in Southeast Asia whose people can speak basic English, if not well.
There’s one other Southeast Asian country who speaks English well – Singapore, but that’s because it is their official language.
In Malaysia, English is recognized but its official language is Malay. This could be because Malaysia used to be colonized by the British Empire.
This might be helpful for when you’re communicating. It also means one less obstacle to overcome.
Even though Malaysia is a multiracial country, and multiracial pairings are not unheard of, they don’t typically date outside of their ethnic group.
Some of them won’t even consider the prospect of dating someone from a different ethnicity, much less from a different country.
Malaysian guys are traditional and they follow the local norms, or their cultural norms when it comes to dating. It can be super conservative and slow when a guy tries to be close to you.
But if you suspect a guy likes you, you’ll be able to tell right away. They are usually quite polite and respectful towards women, but when they like someone they will go the extra mile to be extra chivalrous and be more respectful.
For example, the obvious ones can be like he will open doors for you, pay the bill, and he will make sure that you get home safe. Or a more subtle gesture would be like he will walk on the outside of the sidewalk.
Other than chivalry, they may be a bit shy and won’t tell you outright that he likes you.
But they also like to use their humor to indicate that they’re interested. You probably won’t get their jokes 100% of the time, just because of different cultures and slangs but they’re not followers of deadpan humor, so it’s gonna be a bit easier to tell what’s a joke and what’s not. But they will stay off one topic, and that’s religion.
Be on the lookout for these signs and you’ll get a Malaysian guy in your arms in no time!
Oh, this doesn’t happen frequently, but there is a possibility of a guy just telling you that he likes you, straight to your face.
What should you be prepared for in a relationship with a Malay man?
So okay, there’s a Malaysian guy who’s interested in you. Now what?
Well, most of the time, Malaysian guys will take their sweet time to get to know you. This could mean frequent dates, frequent chats, and taking it slow.
They aren’t known to be straightforward and take a leap in a newly formed relationship. So first, you have to be patient. Take the time to also get to know them.
A lot of Malaysian guys are quite religious, especially if they are Muslims. If they are indeed a religious guy, then all the traditional customs and dating norms will be amplified.
They will be super careful about their relationship, and may not show any PDA. You should always be careful when discussing religion and faith with them, and you should avoid bringing up things that are too sensitive or controversial.
Their dating norms demand them to be the assertive ones, to take the lead in a relationship.
Being the woman in the relationship means being the submissive one, and it is frowned upon when a woman is being too presumptuous.
If you’re content with him taking the lead and you sitting back, then this arrangement should be perfect for you.
A good Malaysian man is someone who respects his family and takes care of them. So naturally, family approval is very important to them.
If you really like him, you should try to win his family over, or at least be on your best behavior around them. Also, don’t be surprised if he invites you to meet his family after only 2 or 3 dates.
However, not every man in Malaysia is conservative or holds traditional views and values. Some of them can be modern and they can appreciate equality.
It all just depends on the person you’re dating. So getting to know them is crucial to explore the unique aspects of your relationship.
If you’re interested in finding out more about men in the region, check out the articles below:
Some potentially helpful tips…
1. Always be respectful about religious beliefs. Even if you have a different faith, or you’re not a believer, you should still be respectful about other people’s faith, especially your date’s.
2. Hold your horses. You might be used to holding hands, kissing, or being physically affectionate with your significant other in public, but Malaysia is a very conservative country. Displays of affection are a private matter, even for married couples. So save them for when you’re alone.
3. Family is the key to their heart. Stay polite and respectful with their family. If you are on good terms with them, your relationship will take off sooner than expected. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even be able to hear wedding bells in the near future!
Well, if any of what I’ve written above sounds like the perfect guy for you, then I wish you luck in finding him.
And if you have any personal experience with a Malay man, don’t hesitate to share your findings and opinions below. The more we have, the better we can understand these men.
