The dorsal pelage is a grizzled olive-brown with scattered medium-length black guard hairs, and the underparts are whitish.

It differs from Annandale's rat (Rattus annandalei) in having sleek fur with spines and fewer mammae, and from the ricefield rat (Rattus argentiventer) in having plain white underparts and lacking an orange spot in front of the ear.

[2] The Malayan field rat is known from Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra, Borneo, the Philippines and many smaller islands.

It feeds on both vegetable and animal matter, with oil palm fruits forming part of its diet.

[2] The Malayan field rat is an abundant and adaptable species with a very wide range, a large total population and an ability to live in a number of different environments.