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Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984

PRINTING PRESSES AND PUBLICATIONS ACT 1984

AKTA MESIN CETAK DAN PENERBITAN 1984

Act 301 · consolidated to 1 Sep 2012 · 24 pp

Artistic freedom
This copy of the Act is 14 years old. Any amendment made since 1 September 2012 is not in this text. Check the AGC record for later amendments.
Why it matters

What this does to artists

Printing presses need a licence and publications need a permit, both at the Minister's absolute discretion, and the Minister may prohibit a publication outright. Zines, art books, catalogues, comics and independent presses all sit inside this Act whether or not they think of themselves as publishers.

Watch this

Section 7 is the prohibition power and has been used against books and graphic novels. The 2012 amendment removed annual renewal and the finality clause, so the Minister's decision is now judicially reviewable. That is the opening.

Start here

What to read first

Section numbers read out of the AGC text itself

s.3Licence to use printing press
s.5Offence to print, import, publish, etc., newspaper without permit
s.7Undesirable publications
s.7Undesirable publications
s.8Offences
Full arrangement of sections 33 sections · show / hide

Extracted from the AGC PDF on this page.

s.1Short title and commencement
s.2Interpretation
s.3Licence to use printing press
s.4Printing press used for unlawful purpose
s.5Offence to print, import, publish, etc., newspaper without permit
s.6Grant of permit
s.7Undesirable publications
s.8Offences
s.8AOffence to publish false news
s.8BSuppression of publication
s.8CSuspension of publication
s.9Undesirable publication may be refused importation
s.9AWithholding delivery pending decision of Minister
s.10Deposit
s.11Printed document to bear name of printer and publisher
s.12Validity of licence and permit
s.13Revocation, suspension and transfer of licence and permit
s.13AMinister’s decision final
s.13BRight to be heard
s.14Presumption
s.15Presumption of printer and publisher
s.16Search warrant
s.17Power to open package
s.18Power of seizure or detaining printing press or publication
s.19All things seized liable to forfeiture
s.20Arrest without warrant
s.21Corporations and firms
s.22Liability of partners, directors, etc
s.23Service of notice, etc
s.24Bar to legal proceedings
s.25Exemption
s.26Rules
s.27Repeal
Who this reaches
Literature, writing & publishingVisual artsContent creation
Important notice

This page is published by ALIM (Art × Law Initiative Malaysia) as general legal information for Malaysia’s creative communities. It is not legal advice. It does not take your circumstances into account, and reading it does not create a solicitor-client relationship with ALIM or with anyone associated with it.

The law changes. Each Act reproduced here is the Attorney General’s Chambers’ consolidated reprint and carries the date it was consolidated to; amendments made after that date do not appear in the text, and the authoritative version of any Malaysian law is the one published in the Federal Gazette. Subsidiary legislation, state enactments and local authority by-laws may also apply to your situation and are largely outside this library.

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