← 1937 1936 1935 1938 in Malaya → 1939 1940 1941
Decades:	1930s 1940s 1950s
See also:	Other events of 1938 History of Malaysia  • Timeline  • Years

This article lists important figures and events in the public affairs of British Malaya during the year 1938, together with births and deaths of prominent Malayans.

Incumbent political figures

Central level

• Governor of Federated of Malay States :
  • Shenton Whitelegge Thomas
• Federal Secretaries of the Federated of Malay States :
  • Christopher Dominic Ahearne
• Governor of Straits Settlements :
  • Shenton Whitelegge Thomas

State level

• Perlis :
  • Raja of Perlis : Syed Alwi Syed Saffi Jamalullail
• Johore :
  • Sultan of Johor : Sultan Ibrahim Al-Masyhur
• Kedah :
  • Sultan of Kedah : Abdul Hamid Halim Shah
• Kelantan :
  • Sultan of Kelantan : Sultan Ismail Sultan Muhammad IV
• Trengganu :
  • Sultan of Trengganu : Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah
• Selangor :
  • British Residents of Selangor : Stanley Wilson Jones
  • Sultan of Selangor : Sultan Sir Hishamuddin Alam Shah Al-Haj
• Penang :
  • Monarchs : King George VI
  • Residents-Councillors : Arthur Mitchell Goodman
• Malacca :
  • Monarchs : King George VI
  • Residents-Councillors :
• Negri Sembilan :
  • British Residents of Negri Sembilan : Gordon Lupton Ham
  • Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan : Tuanku Abdul Rahman ibni Almarhum Tuanku Muhammad
• Pahang :
  • British Residents of Pahang : C. C. Brown
  • Sultan of Pahang : Sultan Abu Bakar
• Perak :
  • British Residents of Perak : G. E. Cater
  • Sultan of Perak :
    • Sultan Iskandar Shah (until unknown date)
    • Sultan Abdul Aziz Al-Mutasim Billah Shah (from unknown date)

Events

• Unknown date – Kesatuan Melayu Muda was established (dissolved in 1945).^[1]

Births

• 4 January – Mohamed Rahmat – Politician (died 2010)
• 1 April – Ananda Krishnan – Businessman and billionaire
• 4 April – Naaman bin Haji Mohd Rawi – Poet
• 15 April – Abdul Rahman Abbas – Politician
• 1 May - Hamid Bin Mohamed Isa (died 2020)
• 3 June – Ooi Eow Jin – Composer
• 10 June – Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin – Politician
• 10 July – M. Daud Kilau – Singer
• 26 August – Dayang Sofia – Actress
• 8 September – Kuswadinata – Actor (died 2013)
• 19 September – Kassim Masdor – Composer (died 2014)
• 11 November – Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Hamid – 9th Chief Commander of Malaysian Armed Forces
• 11 November – Daim Zainuddin – Politician
• 6 December – Murphy Nicholas Xavier Pakiam – Chief Bishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur

Deaths

• 31 March – Sultan Sir Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah, fifth Sultan of Selangor (1898-1938)