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LAWS OF MALAYSIA

REPRINT

Act 32

NATIONAL LANGUAGE
ACTS 1963/67
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 MALAYAN LAW JOURNAL SDN BHD AND
PERCETAKAN NASIONAL MALAYSIA BHD
2006

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NATIONAL LANGUAGE ACTS 1963/67

First enacted … … … … … … 1963 (Act No. 10 of

1963); and
1967 (Act No. 7 of
1967)

Consolidated and revised… … … … 1971 (Act 32 w.e.f.

1 July 1971)

PREVIOUS REPRINTS
First Reprint … … … … … 1993
Second Reprint … … … … 1999

PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION BY

MALAYAN LAW JOURNAL SDN BHD
AND PRINTED BY
PERCETAKAN NASIONAL MALAYSIA BERHAD
KUALA LUMPUR BRANCH
2006

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National Language 3

LAWS OF MALAYSIA

Act 32

NATIONAL LANGUAGE ACTS 1963/67

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Section
1. Short title, application and commencement
2. National language to be used for official purposes
3. Use of translation
4. Continued use of English may be permitted
5. Use of English language may be permitted in Parliament and Legislative
Assembly
6. Authoritative text of laws
7. Written laws enacted prior to 1 September 1967
8. Language of Courts
9. Script of national language
10. Form of numerals
11. Forms

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National Language 5

LAWS OF MALAYSIA

Act 32

NATIONAL LANGUAGE ACTS 1963/67

An Act to consolidate the law relating to the use of the national

language.

[Peninsular Malaysia—sections 9 to 11—

11 April 1963, Act 10 of 1963;
Remainder—1 September 1967, Act 7 of 1967]

Short title, application and commencement

1. (1) This Act may be cited as the National Language Acts

1963/1967 and shall, subject to subsection (2), apply throughout
Malaysia.

(2) This Act shall come into force in the States of Sabah and
Sarawak on such dates as the respective State Authorities may by
enactments of the Legislatures of the respective States appoint
and different dates may be appointed for the coming into force of
different provisions of this Act in those States.

National language to be used for official purposes

2. Save as provided in this Act and subject to the safeguards

contained in Article 152(1) of the Constitution relating to any
other language and the language of any other community in
Malaysia the national language shall be used for official purposes.

Use of translation

3. Nothing in this Act shall affect the right of the Federal

Government or the Government of any State to use any translation
of official documents or communications in any other language
for such purposes as may be deemed necessary in the public
interest.

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6 Laws of Malaysia A CT 32

Continued use of English may be permitted

4. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong may permit the continued use of

the English language for such official purposes as may be deemed
fit.

Use of English language may be permitted in Parliament and

Legislative Assembly

5. The President of Dewan Negara, the Speaker of the Dewan

Rakyat and the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of any State,
or other person performing for the time being the functions of any
such office, may permit any member of either House of Parliament
or of the Legislative Assembly to use the English language in
addressing, or otherwise participating in the work of the House or
the Legislative Assembly, as the case may be.

Authoritative text of laws

6. The texts—
(a) of all Bills to be introduced or amendments thereto to
be moved in Parliament or the Legislative Assembly
of any State;
(b) of all Acts of Parliament and all subsidiary legislation
issued by the Federal Government;
(c) of all Enactments and subsidiary legislation issued by
any State Government; and
(d) of all Ordinances promulgated by the Yang di-Pertuan
Agong,
shall be in the national language and in the English language, the
former being authoritative unless the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
otherwise prescribes generally or in respect of any particular law
or class of laws.

Written laws enacted prior to 1 September 1967

7. (1) Where any written law enacted before the first day of
September 1967, has been translated into the national language

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National Language 7

the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may prescribe the translation of that

law to be authoritative.

(2) Nothing in section 6 shall apply to the amendment of any

written law enacted before the first day of September 1967, until
that written law has been translated into the national language and
the translation has been prescribed to be authoritative.

Language of Courts

8. All proceedings (other than the giving of evidence by a

witness) in the Federal Court, Court of Appeal, the High Court or
any Subordinate Court shall be in the national language:
Provided that the Court may either of its own motion or on the
application of any party to any proceedings and after considering
the interests of justice in those proceedings, order that the
proceedings (other than the giving of evidence by a witness) shall
be partly in the national language and partly in the English
language.

Script of national language

9. The script of the national language shall be the Rumi script:

provided that this shall not prohibit the use of the Malay script,
more commonly known as the Jawi script, of the national
language.

Form of numerals

10. The form of numerals in the national language shall be the

Arabic form of numerals.

Forms

11. Save as otherwise expressly provided, wherever a form in the

English language is prescribed by any written law a translation
thereof in the national language by such person or authority as the
Prime Minister may from time to time by order prescribe may be
used for all the purposes for which the form may, if in the English
language, be used.

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LAWS OF MALAYSIA

Act 32

NATIONAL LANGUAGE ACTS 1963/67

LIST OF AMENDMENTS

Amending law Short title In force from

Act A554 National Language (Amendment 13-05-1983

and Extension) Act 1983
Act A765 National Language (Amendment) 30-03-1990
Act 1990
Act A885 Constitution (Amendment) Act 24-06-1994
1994
Act A901 National Language (Amendment) 09-09-1994
Act 1994

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National Language 9

LAWS OF MALAYSIA

Act 32

NATIONAL LANGUAGE ACTS 1963/67

LIST OF SECTIONS AMENDED

Section Amending authority In force from

1 Act A554 13-05-1983

5 Act A554 13-05-1983

8 Act A765 30-03-1990

Act A885 24-06-1994

Act A901 09-09-1994

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