8 Famous People You Didn't Know Had Malaysian Connections
Published by SchoolAdvisor | Nov 26, 2016
Now we can proudly say these famous people are somehow related to Malaysia!
1. Barack Obama
Did you know that the former President of the United States of America has a brother-in-law whose family was born in Sabah? Well neither did we! Dr Konrad Ng, an assistant professor at the University of Hawaii Manoa (UHM), whose family originates from Sabah is married to Obama's half sister, Maya Soetoro. Maya and Obama share the same mother. In an e-mail interview with The Star, Ng, 34, said that his father, Howard, was born in Sandakan and his mother, Joan, in Kudat. “I have many relatives who live throughout Malaysia, especially in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and the two towns where my parents came from,” he said
2. Shaun Maloney
The former Aston Villa and Celtic footballer who now plays for Hull City was actually born in Sarawak! This means Maloney was eligible to play for Malaysia. When contacted by Four Four Two, he said he absolutely loved living in Sarawak, but unfortunately his dad's contract was not renewed and he was offered a job in Aberdeen instead.
3. Guy Sebastian
Guy Sebastian was born in Malaysia and moved to Australia with his family in 1988 when he was just six years old. Back then, he was just a church going guy from suburban Adelaide who juggled two jobs. Today, the Australian Idol winner is a genuine cultural phenomenon and a pop idol with a mesmerising voice He was one of the judges for the Australian version of X Factor. He is most famous for his songs, Battle Scars and Angels Brought Me Here.
4. Godfrey Goa
The Canadian actor and model is actually half Malaysian thanks to his mother. Fun fact: He was the voice of Ken in the Mandarin dubbed version of "Toy Story 3".According to TheStar, Gao, whose father is from Taiwan and mother from Malaysia, went to high school in North Vancouver but now lives in Taipei. He speaks both English and Mandarin. His Facebook site lists his favourite activities as playing the drums, volleyball, basketball and ice skating. In a video interview posted on YouTube, the soft-spoken Gao also professes his love for food (especially peanut butter and jelly sandwiches) and says he’s a good cook.
5. Penny Wong
Born in Kota Kinabalu, Penny moved to Adelaide when she was just 8 years old. She then developed a passion for politics and is now the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate of Australia.Penny was born in 1968, to a Chinese-Malaysian father and a European-Australian mother, she moved to Adelaide with her mother and brother at the age of eight. She attended Coromandel Valley Primary and subsequently won a scholarship to Scotch College before studying Law and Arts at the University of Adelaide.
6. Andy Lau
Andy Lau has been has been married to his long time Malaysian girlfriend Carol Chu since June 23, 2008, but the marriage and relationship, though rumored, have only been confirmed by Andy Lau in August, 2009. They now have a daughter together, Hanna Lau. Starting from 1981 to 2015, Andy Lau has starred in a total of more than 140 movies. Some of his most famous movies include, Running Out of Time (1999), Internal Affairs (2002) and A Simple Life (2011).
7. Jay Manuel
Born to Italian and Czech descent mother and a South African father of Netherlands and Malaysia descent, this Canadian American make-up artist said, “I don’t wear fake tan, I’m half Cape-Malaysian.” Manuel is known for as the director of photo shots on America’s Next Top Model. He has worked with top models such as Tyra Banks and Iman.
8. Zuleikha Robinson
Robinson is an an Emmy, SAG Award, Golden Globe and Academy Award-nominated British actress, known for her role in Lost (2009) and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (2013). Born in London, United Kingdom, she was raised by her Burmese-Indian-Malay mother and an English father. Before moving to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career, she spent her childhood in Thailand and Malaysia. Impressed yet?
