LA WS OF MALA YSIA
REPRINT
Act 298
PROTECTED AREAS AND
PROTECTED PLACES 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 Laws of M alaysia ACT 298
PROTECTED AREAS AND PROTECTED
PLACES ACT 1959
First enacted … … … …… … 1959 (F.M . Ordinance
No. 33 of 1959)
Revised … … … … …… … 1983 (Act 298 w.e.f.
19 January 1984)
PREVIOUS REPRINTS
First Reprint … … … … … 1973
Second Reprint … … … … … 2001

Protected Areas and Protected Places 3
LAW S OF M ALAYSIA
Act 298
PROTECTED AREAS AND PROTECTED
PLACES ACT 1959
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Section
1. Short title
2. Interpretation
3. Authorization of guards and watchmen
4. Protected areas
5. Protected places
6. Notice of orders under sections 4 and 5
7. Penalty
8. Offences seizable and non-bailable
9. Special powers in protected areas and protected places
10. Defensive measures at protected areas and protected places

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Protected Areas and Protected Places 5
LAW S OF M ALAYSIA
Act 298
PROTECTED AREAS AND PROTECTED
PLACES ACT 1959
An Act to provide for protected areas and places.
[Peninsular M alaysia— 1 February 1960,
L.N. 27/1960;
Sabah and Sarawak— 16 September 1963,
L.N. 232/1963] Short title
1. This Act may be cited as the Protected Areas and Protected
Places Act 1959.
Interpretation
2. In this Act—
“authorized officer” means—
(a) any police officer;
(b) any person holding a commission in any of the armed
forces or in any local force constituted under any written
law or in any visiting forces lawfully present in M alaysia;
(c) any member of the armed forces or of any local force
constituted under any written law or of any visiting forces
lawfully present in M alaysia performing the duties of a
guard or sentry in any protected place or protected area
in accordance with orders issued by a person holding a
commission in any of the armed forces or of any local
force constituted under any w ritten law or of any visiting
forces lawfully present in M alaysia;

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(d) any person performing the duties of a guard or watchman
in a protected place or a protected area and specially
authorized in that behalf by a police officer under
section 3;
“Chief Police Officer” includes a Commissioner of Police vested
with the control of the Royal M alaysia Police in respect of any
area or State;
“protected area” means any area declared to be a protected area
by virtue of the provisions of section 4;
“protected place” means any premises declared to be a protected
place by virtue of the provisions of section 5.
Authorization of guards and watchm en
3. The Inspector General of Police, any Chief Police Officer and
any police officer of or above the rank of Assistant Superintendent
empowered in that behalf by the Inspector General of Police or a
Chief Police Officer, may authorize any person performing the
duties of a guard or watchman in a protected area or a protected
place to exercise the powers of an authorized officer under this
Act.
Protected areas
4.(1) If as respects any area it appears to the M inister to be
necessary or expedient that special measures should be taken to
control the movements and conduct of persons therein he may by
order declare the area to be a protected area for the purposes of
this Act.
(2) Any person who is in any protected area shall comply with
such directions for regulating his movement and conduct as may
be given by an authorized officer, and an authorized officer may
search any person entering, or seeking to enter, or being in, a
protected area, and may detain any such person for the purpose
of searching him.
(3) If any person whilst in a protected area fails to comply with
any direction given under subsection (2) then, without prejudice
to any proceedings which may be taken against him, he may be
removed from the area by an authorized officer.

Protected Areas and Protected Places 7
Protected places
5.(1) If as respects any premises it appears to the M inister to be
necessary or expedient that special precautions should be taken to
prevent the entry therein of unauthorized persons he may by order
declare the premises to be a protected place for the purposes of
this Act; and so long as the order is in force no person shall be
in those premises unless he is in possession of a pass-card or
permit issued by such authority or person as may be specified in
the order, or has received the permission of an authorized officer
on duty at those premises to enter the same.
(2) W here, in pursuance of this section, any person is granted
permission to be in a protected place, that person shall, while
acting under the permission, comply with such directions for
regulating his conduct as may be given by the authority or person
granting the permission; and an authorized officer, or any person
authorized in that behalf by the occupier of the premises, may
search any person entering, or seeking to enter, or being in, a
protected place, and may detain any such person for the purpose
of searching him.
(3) If any person is in a protected place in contravention of this
section, or while in such a place fails to comply with any direction
given under this section, then, without prejudice to any proceedings
which may be taken against him, he may be removed from the
place by an authorized officer or any person authorized in that
behalf by the occupier of the premises.
(4) Pass-cards or permits issued under subsection (1) shall be
in such form as may be specified in the order made thereunder,
or in such form as the authority or other person specified in the
order may determine.
Notice of orders under sections 4 and 5
6. W hen any order is made under subsection 4(1) or subsection
5(1) the M inister shall cause notice of the effect of that order to
be given in such a manner as he thinks necessary for bringing it
to the notice of all persons who in his opinion ought to have notice
thereof; and the order shall, notwithstanding subsection 19(1) of
the Interpretation Acts 1948 and 1967 [Act 388], have effect as
soon as the notice has been given, without publication in the
Gazette.

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Penalty
7. If any person contravenes or fails to comply with any of the
provisions of section 4 or 5 or any order made thereunder or any
direction given or requirement imposed thereunder he shall be
guilty of an offence against this Act and shall be liable to
imprisonment for a term of two years or to a fine of one thousand
ringgit or to both.
Offences seizable and non-bailable
8. Every offence against the provisions of this Act shall be seizable
and non-bailable for the purposes of the law for the time being in
force relating to criminal procedure.
Special powers in protected areas and protected places
9. Any person who attempts to enter or who is in a protected area
or a protected place and who fails to stop after being challenged
three times by an authorized officer so to do may be arrested by
force, which force may if necessary to effect the arrest extend to
the voluntary causing of death.
Defensive m easures at protected areas and protected places
10.(1) It shall be lawful for the M inister to authorize the taking
of such steps as he may deem necessary for the protection of any
protected area or protected place, and those steps may extend to
the taking of defensive measures which involve or may involve
danger to the life of any person entering or attempting to enter a
protected area or protected place.
(2) W here any measures such as are referred to in subsection
(1) are adopted the Inspector General of Police or the Chief Police
Officer of the area or State in which the protected area or protected
place is situate, or any person so authorized by the M inister in that
behalf, shall cause such precautions to be taken, including the
prominent display of warning notices, as he deems reasonably
necessary to prevent inadvertent or accidental entry into any such
protected area or protected place; and, where such precautions
have been duly taken, no person shall be entitled to compensation
or damages in respect of any injuries received or death caused as
a result of any unauthorized entry into any such protected area or
protected place.

Protected Areas and Protected Places 9
LAW S OF M ALAYSIA
Act 298
PROTECTED AREAS AND PROTECTED
PLACES ACT 1959
LIST OF AMENDMENTS
Amending law Short title In force from
L.N. 232/1963 Modification of Laws (Internal 16-09-1963
Security and Public Order) (Borneo
States) Order 1963
Act 160 Malaysian Currency (Ringgit) Act 29-08-1975
1975

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DICETAK OLEH PERCETAKAN NASIONAL MALAYSIA BERHAD, KUALA LUMPUR BAGI PIHAK DAN DENGAN PERINTAH KERAJAAN MALAYSIA
LAW S OF M ALAYSIA
Act 298
PROTECTED AREAS AND PROTECTED
PLACES ACT 1959
LIST OF SECTIONS AMENDED
Section Amending authority In force from
7 Act 160 29-08-1975