Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera, OBE, JP, KCM (8 November 1899 – 23 April 1973) was a Sri Lankan academic, scholar and diplomat best known for his Malalasekara English-Sinhala Dictionary.

It was a leading school in the English medium in Panadura under the head master Cyril Jansz, a reputed educationist of the colonial era.

After receiving his education in that school from 1907–17, he joined the Ceylon Medical College, Colombo to qualify as a doctor with a Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery (LMS).

He was the youngest candidate to obtain the Bachelor of Arts degree in the British Empire in that year with a first class.

After gaining his BA he took to teaching at Ananda College, Colombo as an assistant teacher, then under the principal P. de S. Kularatne.

The student assembly hall of Nalanda College Colombo is named Malalasekara Theatre in memory of him.

He contributed research papers and publications to the Pali Text Society of London under the patronage of scholars like Rhys David and Miss I.

During his tenure in office, he saw to it that the All-Ceylon Buddhist Congress constructed a new building for its headquarters in Buller's Road (now Bauddhaloka Mawatha).

He presented numerous essays, write-ups and literary contributions, and delivered radio talks on Buddhist and religious/cultural matters and Social service assignments.

There he served as chairman, Security Council Member, Fact Finding Mission to Saigon and also in the Committee on Information from North Non-self Governing Territories.

The marriage lasted only three years until her early death, and produced a daughter Chitra who excelled in classical music (piano).