From appearing in dubs of 90s’ anime to starring in some of the world’s biggest gacha games, Malaysian voice actresses have left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry over the years.
This International Women’s Day, we’ll be taking a closer look at 5 of these talented women, who’ve each played a part in bringing some of our favourite characters to life!
1. Ruhaiyah Ibrahim
Ruhaiyah Ibrahim is best known for playing Doraemon in the Malay dub of the series, but she’s also starred in Malay dubs of various well-known film and television series, such as Madam Tremaine from Cinderella, Mrs. Pepper from Blue’s Clues, and Mrs. Puff from Spongebob Squarepants. Her love of voice acting has also spread throughout her family, with her husband Osman Abdullah and son Ammar Daniel Osman also going on to become local voice actors.
2. Asyiela Putri
Did you know that Upin and Ipin share the same voice actress? That’s right – both roles are performed by 20-year-old Asyiela Putri, who was initially cast at the age of eight. Since then, she has continued to play the parts of Upin and Ipin for over thirteen years, showing no signs of stopping even while juggling her studies as a university student. Asyiela also ventured into film in 2014, appearing as Yana in Astro Prima’s Pulangnya Tok Misai.
Follow her on Instagram here.
3. Su Ling Chan
This prolific Malaysian voice actress has over 49 roles to her name, including Ying from BoBoiBoy, Cabernet from Path to Nowhere, and Mayday from No Straight Roads. You’ll also have heard her as the voice of Bailu from Honkai: Star Rail, one of the biggest gacha games of the previous year. Those who love point-and-click-games will also be able to see her as Vio, the titular character of the recently released indie game A Twisted Tale.
Find her over on X.
4. Ida Rahayu
Hailing from Kuantan, Pahang, Ida got her start in the animation industry as a storyboard artist at Les’ Copaque Production. She then moved on to become a production coordinator at Wau Animation, where she also auditioned for and landed the role of Ejen Ali and his pet cat Comot. Before her stint as Ali, she also lent her voice to Fizi from Upin and Ipin, and Oopet from Geng: Pengembaraan Bermula.
Check out more of her work on Instagram.
5. Sam Yeow
Finally, we’re rounding out this article with Sam Yeow, a Barcelona-based Malaysian voice actress whose roles include Centurion from Reverse: 1999, Dan-Bi from My Time At Sandrock, and Kimberly from The Will of Arthur Flabbington. Outside of games, she’s also appeared in audio drama podcasts such as The Boar Knight, Super Suits, Chaika, and The Dark Dice Podcast.
Learn more about her on X.
Who’s your favourite Malaysian voice actress? Tell us about them in the comments below!
