Official Secrets Act 1972

Akta Rahsia Rasmi 1972

Revises and consolidates the law relating to the protection of official secrets.

Read the copy (English) — PDF, 29 pages Bahasa Melayu — PDF, 34 pages

Copy of the official text captured from the Laws of Malaysia portal (AGC) on 26 October 2026. Always check the official portal for the authoritative current version. Amendments made after the official “last updated” date are published separately as amending Acts (Act A…) on the portal.

Number	Act 88
Type	Federal Act
Applies to	Federal
Subject	Constitution & government
Year	1972
Official “last updated”	1 January 2006
Published by	Attorney General's Chambers — Laws of Malaysia portal (lom.agc.gov.my)
Royal Assent	26 September 1972
Published in the Gazette	30 September 1972

Long title

An Act to revise and consolidate the law relating to the protection of official secrets.

Contents — Parts and sections

39 sections, headings copied from the “ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS” of the official text (copy of 26 October 2026). Read the full wording in the PDF.

Definitions: section 2 (Interpretation).

s 1 Short title
s 2 Interpretation
s 2A Addition, deletion or amendment of the Schedule
s 2B Appointment of public officer to classify official document, etc.
s 2C Declassification of official secret by a Minister or a public officer
s 3 Penalties for spying
s 4 Prohibition of taking or making any document, measurement, sounding or survey of or within a prohibited place
s 5 Penalty for making or assisting in making false declarations or statements in obtaining permits
s 6 Special power of the court to direct search and seizure
s 7 Prohibition from carrying photographic apparatus
s 7A Duty to report request for information, etc.
s 7B Placing in confidence of foreign agent
s 8 Wrongful communication, etc. of official secret
s 9 Unauthorized use of uniforms, falsification of reports, forgery, personation and false documents
s 10 Interfering with police officers or members of the armed forces
s 11 Duty to give information
s 12 Power to require the production of messages
s 13 Harbouring
s 14 Attempts, incitements, etc.
s 15 Restrictions on prosecutions
s 16 Burden of proof and presumptions
s 16A Certificate by a public officer to be conclusive evidence
s 17 Communications with foreign agents to be evidence of commission of certain offences
s 17A Defence available to a public officer
s 18 Power to arrest
s 19 Powers of search and seizure
s 20 Special powers of investigation
s 21 Admission of statements in evidence
s 22 Evidence of accomplice
s 23 Examination of offenders
s 24 Protection of informers
s 25 Liability for offences outside Malaysia
s 26 Trial of offences
s 27 Exclusion of public during proceedings
s 28 Criminal liability of corporation or firm
s 29 Minister may confer police powers on suitable persons
s 30 Powers under Criminal Procedure Code not restricted
s 30A Regulations
s 31 Repeal

Schedules: SCHEDULE

Criminal Procedure Code (Act 593)

Federal Acts that this law's official text itself refers to (as “[Act N]”), most-referred first.

Amendment history

Amending law	Short title	In force from
Act 6	Finance Companies Act 1969	01-06-1969
Act 102	Banking Act 1973	15-04-1973
Act 146	Bank Simpanan Nasional Act 1974	01-12-1974
Act 160	Malaysian Currency (Ringgit) Act 1975	29-08-1975
Act A324	Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment and Extension) Act 1976	10-01-1976
Act A454	Banking and Borrowing Companies 15-04-1973	02-03-1979
Act A573	Official Secrets (Amendment) Act 1984	20-01-1984
Act A660	Official Secrets (Amendment) Act 1986	01-01-1987
Act 372	Banking and Financial Institutions Act 1989 LAWS OF MALAYSIA Act 88 OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT 1972	01-10-1989

Copied from the “List of amendments” printed in the official text. Amendments made after the text's “as at” date are not in this list — check the portal for later amending Acts.

Version history

Captured	Language	Official “last updated”	Pages	SHA-256	File
26 October 2026	Bahasa Melayu	1 January 2006	34	`e61edcfda735`	PDF 0.1 MB
26 October 2026	English	1 January 2006	29	`d9ff2d5db937`	PDF 0.2 MB

A new version is kept only when the official file changes (different SHA-256 fingerprint). Older versions are never overwritten, so you can see what the text said on an earlier date.

Official source

Official texts of a legislative or regulatory nature are not protected as literary works (Copyright Act 1987, s 3, definition of “literary work”). A downloaded or printed copy is not a copy of the Gazette and is not evidence of its contents — see the portal's own terms. MyLegal2u adds nothing to the text; our explanations are on our guide pages, not in these copies.