The Malaysian Plover ranges from coastal parts of the Malay Peninsula through parts of the Philippines, the Sunda Islands and Sulawesi. It is found on sandy and coral beaches.
A breeding male has a continuous black breast band below a white collar and pale feather fringes that look scaly. The female's breast band is rufous and she lacks the black crown patch.
It is most often found on sandy or coral beaches and occasionally on mudflats. At suitable sites it may occur in pairs or family groups.
In the 2004–2005 Gulf of Thailand study, both parents incubated, but females spent more observation time on the eggs. Males spent more time defending territories than females.
On the Gulf of Thailand coast in 2004–2005, both parents took part in defending chicks when threats approached. Chicks fed themselves rather than receiving food from their parents.
In the Gulf of Thailand study, adults were often seen wetting their legs and bodies in pools before or just after an incubation bout.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.