National Registration 1
LAWS OF MALAYSIA
REPRINT
Act 78
NATIONAL REGISTRATION
ACT 1959
Incorporating all amendments up to 1 January 2006
PUBLISHED BY
THE COMMISSIONER OF LAW REVISION, MALAYSIA
UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE REVISION OF LAWS ACT 1968
IN COLLABORATION WITH
PERCETAKAN NASIONAL MALAYSIA BHD
2006
2
NATIONAL REGISTRATION ACT 1959
First enacted ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1959 (Act No. 12
of 1959)
Revised ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1972 (Act 78 w.e.f.
1 June 1972)
PREVIOUS REPRINTS
First Reprint ... ... ... ... ... 1966
Second Reprint ... ... ... ... ... 1994
Third Reprint ... ... ... ... ... 1999
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LAWS OF MALAYSIA
Act 78
NATIONAL REGISTRATION ACT 1959
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Section
1. Short title
2. Interpretation
3. Appointment of Director General and Deputy Director General
3A. Appointment of Directors
3 B. Appointment of registration officers and registration agents
3 C. Public servants
4. Establishment of register
5. Registration
6. Regulations
7. (Deleted)
7A. Jurisdiction of a court of the First Class Magistrate
8. Obligation to be in possession of travel document
4 Laws of Malaysia ACT 78
National Registration 5
LAWS OF MALAYSIA
Act 78
NATIONAL REGISTRATION ACT 1959
An Act to provide for the registration of persons in Malaysia, for
the issue of identity cards and for purposes connected with it.
[Peninsular Malaysia—1 August 1960, L.N. 150/1960;
*Sarawak—30 March 1966, P.U. 103/1966;
*Sabah—1 June 1972, P.U. (B) 2/1972;
Federal Territory of Labuan—16 April 1984,
P.U. (A) 200/1985]
Short title
1. This Act may be cited as the National Registration Act 1959.
Interpretation
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—
“Director General” means the Director General of National
Registration appointed under section 3;
“registration officer” means—
(a) the Director General of National Registration and Deputy
Director General of National Registration appointed under
section 3;
(b) the Director of the Identity Card Division appointed under
section 3A;
(c) the Director of National Registration of each State appointed
under section 3A;
*NOTE—For extension and modification of the Act to Sabah and Sarawak–see P.U. 61/1966.
6 Laws of Malaysia ACT 78
(d) any registration officer appointed under paragraph 3B(1)(a);
(e) any registration agent appointed under paragraph 3B(1)(b).
Appointment of Director General and Deputy Director General
3. (1) The Yang di-Pertuan Agong may appoint a Director General
and a Deputy Director General of National Registration for the
purposes of the Act.
(2) Subject to the general direction and control of the Minister,
the Director General may exercise the powers conferred, and shall
perform the duties imposed, upon him by this Act.
(3) For the purposes of this Act, and subject to the general
direction and control of the Minister, the Deputy Director General
of National Registration may exercise all the powers and shall
perform all the duties of the Director General and, in the absence
of the Director General, may act in his behalf.
Appointment of Directors
3A. (1) The Minister may appoint a Director of the Identity Card
Division at the Headquarters of the National Registration Department
and a Director of National Registration for each State for the
purposes of this Act.
(2) Subject to the direction and control of the Director General,
the Director of the Identity Card Division at the Headquarters of
the National Registration Department and the Director of National
Registration for each State shall have and may exercise all the
powers and perform all the duties of the Director General.
Appointment of registration officers and registration agents
3B. (1) The Director General may appoint—
(a) such number of registration officers; and
(b) such number of persons who are not public officers as
registration agents,
as he deems necessary and expedient.
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(2) The Director General may, in relation to any matter or class
of matters, appoint any road transport officer or, immigration
officer or any officer of any Government department to be a
registration officer for the purposes of this Act, and a person so
appointed shall exercise his powers and perform his duties subject
to the direction and control of the Director General.
(3) A person who is in the employment of the State Government
of Sabah or the State Government of Sarawak may not be appointed
as a registration officer without the prior written consent of the
State Government.
Public servants
3C. All registration officers shall be deemed to be public servants
for the purposes of the Penal Code [Act 574].
Establishment of register
4. (1) The Director General shall cause to be kept and maintained
a register of all persons in Malaysia who are required to register
under this Act.
(2) The register shall be in such form and shall contain such
particulars as may be prescribed by regulations made under
section 6.
Registration
5. Subject to any exemption which may be granted by regulations
made under section 6, every person within Malaysia shall be registered
under and in accordance with this Act.
Regulations
6. (1) The Minister may make regulations for the purposes of this
Act.
8 Laws of Malaysia ACT 78
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the powers conferred
by subsection (1), the regulations may provide for—
(a) the manner in which and the places at which application
for registration of persons shall be made;
(b) the establishment of a central registry;
(c) the information and documents to be furnished for the
purposes of registration;
(d) the taking and recording of photographs and finger and
thumb prints of persons required to be registered;
(e) the issue and form of identity cards and the particulars
to be entered thereon;
(f) the inspection of identity cards by persons in charge of
hotels and lodging houses and other classes or descriptions
of persons;
(g) the issue of replacement of identity cards;
(h) requiring persons who have obtained identity cards (or
replacements thereof) before attaining the age of eighteen
years to re-register within a period of thirty-six months
after the lapse of six years from the date of issue of the
card;
(i) requiring persons who have obtained identity cards or
replacements thereof to re-register within a period not
exceeding ten years from the date of their last preceding
registration;
(j) the maximum charges that may be made for, and the
conditions which may be imposed on the taking by any
person of photographs;
(k) the temporary surrender of identity cards;
(l) the custody and production of identity cards;
(m) the times and places for the attendance before a registration
officer of applicants and holders of identity cards;
(n) the publication of information derived from the register;
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(o) the making of corrections to and alterations in the register
and identity cards;
(p) the preparation, custody and inspection of indices of and
the issue of extracts from the register;
(q) the fees to be imposed, and the conditions under which
the collection thereof may be waived;
(r) the presumptions relating to proof of documents kept
under this Act and issued under the hand of a registration
officer other than a registration agent;
(s) the conferring and exercise of powers of arrest and search;
(t) the absolute or conditional exemption of any person or
category of persons from this Act;
(u) the imposition of penalties for any contravention of any
regulations and *such penalty shall not exceed a fine of
fifty thousand ringgit or imprisonment for a term of five
years or both; and
(v) the surrender and replacement of identity cards issued
under any repealed written law relating to registration of
persons within such periods and within such areas as
may from time to time be provided in the regulations.
7. (Deleted by Act A1114).
Jurisdiction of a court of the First Class Magistrate
7A. Notwithstanding the provisions of any written law to the
contrary, a First Class Magistrate shall have the jurisdiction to try
any offence under this Act or any regulations made under this Act,
and to impose the full punishment for any such offence.
Obligation to be in possession of travel document
8. Nothing in this Act shall be deemed to relieve any person of
any obligation under any other written law to be in possession of
a passport or any other travel document whatsoever.
*NOTE—Previously provided that no such penalty shall exceed a fine of three thousand ringgit or
imprisonment for a term ot two years or both–see Act A1114
10 Laws of Malaysia ACT 78
LAWS OF MALAYSIA
Act 78
NATIONAL REGISTRATION ACT 1959
LIST OF AMENDMENTS
Amending law Short title In force from
P.U. 61/1966 Modification of Laws 30-03-1996 for
(National Registration) Sarawak (see
(Borneo States) (Extension Sarawak
and Modification) Order L.N.(F) 31/1966)
1966 01-06-1972 for
Sabah (see Sabah
G.N.S. 2/1972)
P.U. (B) 324/1970 Notification under section 3 01-01-1971
of Titles of Office
Ordinance 1949
P.U. (A) 120/1972 Notification under section 3 05-05-1972
of Titles of Office
Ordinance 1949
Act A156 National Registration 27-04-1967
(Amendment) Act 1972
Act 160 Malaysian Currency (Ringgit) 29-08-1975
Act 1975
Act A327 Penal Code (Amendment 31-03-1976
and Extension) Act 1976
Act A1114 National Registration s.2, 3 and 4:
(Amendment) Act 2001 01-11-2000;
remaining
provisions
06-07-2001
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LAWS OF MALAYSIA
Act 78
NATIONAL REGISTRATION ACT 1959
LIST OF SECTIONS AMENDED
Section Amending authority In force from
2 P.U. (B) 324/1970 01-01-1971
P.U. (A) 120/1972 05-05-1972
Act A1114 01-11-2000
3 P.U. (B) 324/1970 01-01-1970
P.U. (A) 120/1972 05-05-1972
Act A1114 01-11-2000
3A Act A1114 01-11-2000
3B Act A1114 01-11-2000
3C Act A1114 01-11-2000
6 Act A156 27-04-1967
Act 160 29-08-1975
Act A1114 06-07-2001
7 Act A1114 06-07-2001
7A Act A1114 06-07-2001
DICETAK OLEH
PERCETAKAN NASIONAL MALAYSIA BERHAD,
KUALA LUMPUR
BAGI PIHAK DAN DENGAN PERINTAH KERAJAAN MALAYSIA
