Ramli Ibrahim was born in Malaysia in May, 1953, to Encik Ibrahim Bin Hj Mohmmad Amin, who was a teacher, and,Kamariah, who was a secretary of the Kaum Ibu (women's association) of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO). He grew up in a liberal Muslim family. In an interview to ‘The Hindu’ in 2016 he also claimed to be a singer.