Defamation Act 1957
DEFAMATION ACT 1957
AKTA FITNAH 1957
Act 286 · consolidated to 1 Jan 2006 · 18 pp
What this does to artists
Cuts both ways for the arts: it is the statute used against critics, reviewers, documentary makers and commentators, and it is also the statute an artist uses when someone destroys their reputation. Justification, fair comment and qualified privilege are the defences that matter to criticism.
Section 8 requires notice of intention to rely on justification or fair comment in some circumstances. Malaysia has no serious-harm threshold, so the bar to suing is low.
What to read first
Section numbers read out of the AGC text itself
Where this one bites
Post a set, reel or performance video
Uploading is reproduction and communication to the public, and then four separate speech regimes sit on top of…
ScenarioShoot and screen a film or documentary
Approval is the gate, a FINAS licence is the price of admission, and possession alone is an offence.…
ScenarioPublish a book or zine
Printing needs a licence, publishing needs a permit, and the Minister can prohibit the result outright.…
ScenarioSomeone used your work without asking
Before anything else, check that you own it. Most of these come apart on ownership rather than on the copying,…
Full arrangement of sections 22 sections · show / hide
Extracted from the AGC PDF on this page.
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