Cover image via SAYS.com
1. Barack Obama. Yes! The current President of the United States has a brother-in-law whose family was born in Sabah.
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2. Shaun Maloney. The former Aston Villa and Celtic footballer was actually eligible to play for Malaysia! Born in Sarawak, he and his family eventually moved to Scotland where he would represent the country 37 times.
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3. Jay Manuel. The America's Next Top Model judge is actually a quarter Malaysian thanks to his dad's heritage.
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4. Guy Sebastian. Hailing from the country of Klang*, the Australian Idol winner is making waves not just because of his super cool hair but due to his musical ability
*Klang is so huge it's considered a country in itself. – Darian
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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, a pop idol whose mesmerising voice, and was one of the judges for the Australian version of X Factor.
5. Godfrey Gao. 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".
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6. Gwen Stefani. Gwen's husband, Gavin Rossdale actually has relatives here living right in Kuala Lumpur! So don't be surprised if you see her hanging out at a mamak with the family.
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7. 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.
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8. Yin Chang. Most people will recognise Yin as Nelly Yuki in the famed hit TV series Gossip Girl but did you know she's actually the granddaughter of Dr. Teng Beng Chew, a world renowned artist from Malaysia?
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9. Andy Lau. One of the four heavenly kings of Cantopop, Lau Tak Wah is married to Malaysian Carol Chu.
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10. Aarif Rahman. Blessed with the good looks of having a Malaysian father who has Malay, Chinese and Arab ancestry, the star has worked with Fan Bing Bing and played legendary Bruce Lee in the film "Bruce Lee, My Brother".
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11. Lee Gaze. A member of popular rock band Lostprophets, he's married to Syirin Said, a Malaysian communications specialist! They have a child named Daniyal Rehan Said Gaze.
*Thanks for the heads up Clement Chiang!
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12. Bic Runga. The New Zealand singer has songs topping charts in New Zealand, Australia, and even the UK! Her mother is a Malaysian Chinese who used to be a lounge singer before she met her future husband.
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*Thanks Al Khalaj for the tip!
