Objective: To investigate the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) MALAT1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its function. Methods: The MALAT1 expressions in 80 surgical specimens consisting of tumor and adjacent normal tissue as well as in different HCC cells lines (HepG2, Hep3B, HCCLM3, and HuH7) and normal hepatic cell line (L02) were determined by qRT-PCR method. The changes in proliferation, migration and apoptosis in HCC cells (HepG2 and HuH7) after MALAT1 siRNA transfection were examined by MTT assay, wound healing assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Results: In 72 of the 80 paired samples (90%), the MALAT1 expression in HCC tissue was significantly up-regulated compared with its adjacent normal tissue, and the MALAT1 expression level in each examined HCC cell line was significantly higher to varying degrees than that in normal hepatic cell line (all P<0.05). In HepG2 and HuH7 cells after MALAT1 siRNA transfection, the proliferation rate was significantly decreased in a time-dependent manner, wound healing ability was significantly weakened (all P<0.05), the apoptosis rate was 17.0% and 16.41%, which in their corresponding group was 8.89% and 6.56% respectively, and the difference had statistical significance (both P<0.05). Conclusion: MALAT1 expression is up-regulated in HCC, which may be closely associated with the malignant behaviors of HCC, and further investigation of its action mechanism may probably uncover a potential new therapeutic target for HCC.