Probiotics have been associated with numerous human health benefits. Fermented and dairy food products are identified as significant sources of these beneficial microorganisms. This study aimed to isolate the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from Malaysian fermented and dairy food products, and assess their probiotic traits and safety. Malaysian fermented (beancurd, ‘belacan’, tapay, ‘taucu’ and fermented fish) and dairy (sour cream and goat milk) food products were serially diluted and spread plated on De Man–Rogosa–Sharpe (MRS) medium. The isolated strains were phenotypically and biochemically characterized. Their probiotics (growth ability, antimicrobial activity, NaCl, pH, and temperature tolerances) and safety traits (antibiotic resistance and hemolytic activity) were assessed. Ten LAB strains were isolated from the samples. Among them, six (6/10) isolates displayed reproducibly robust growth and were preliminary selected for further investigation on their probiotic traits. The six isolates exhibited versatile carbohydrate metabolisms, including fructose, glucose, sucrose and maltose. They were catalase-negative, homofermentative, and classified as bacilli (four isolates) and cocci (two isolates). The findings showed that all six isolates were resistant to low acidity (pH 3–6), and highly tolerant to NaCl concentrations (2–8%) and temperature variations (4–37 °C). They also showed antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. Safety assessment tests revealed that the six LAB strains were susceptible to the tested antibiotics (amoxicillin, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, penicillin and erythromycin) and exhibited γ-hemolytic activity. This study indicated that the six presumptive LAB strains isolated from Malaysian fermented and dairy food products displayed favourable in vitro probiotic traits. They could be regarded as promising candidates for further exploration, aiming at their potential for industrial uses that benefit human and animal health and well-being.