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).

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 29 April – Daim Zainuddin, Politician and Businessman (died 2024) 1 May - Hamid Bin Mohamed Isa (died 2020) 3 June – Ooi Eow Jin – Composer 10 June – Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin – Politician (died 2020) 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 6 December – Murphy Nicholas Xavier Pakiam – Chief Bishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur

Deaths 31 March – Sulaiman of Selangor, 5th Sultan of Selangor (b. 1863). 14 August – Iskandar of Perak, 30th Sultan of Perak (b. 1876). 22 August – Chee Swee Cheng, businessman and banker (b. 1866).

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