(1) This Act may be cited as the Wills Act 1959.
(2) This Act shall apply to the States of West Malaysia only. Interpretation and application
(1) In this Act, unless there is something repugnant in the subject or context- thereto, moneys, shares of Government and other funds, securities for money, charges, debts, choses in action, rights, credits, goods and all other property whatsoever which devolves upon the executor or administrator and any share or interest therein and any contingent, executory or other future interest; "*West Malaysia" has the meaning assigned thereto in section 3 of the Interpretation Acts 1948 and 1967 [Act 388], and includes the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur; "will" means a declaration intended to have legal effect of the intentions of a testator with respect to his property or other matters vhich he desires to be carried into effect after his death anc Hsguodinr g ailo cetamen o io gudimgenp coeody ny tuition of any child. * All references to "West Malaysia" shall be construed as references to "Peninsular Malaysia"—see Interpretation (Amendment) Act 1997 [Act A996], s. 5(2).
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(2) This Act shall not apply to the wills of persons professing he religion of Islam whose testamentary powers shall remair inaffected by anything in this Act contained Property disposable by will Except as hereinafter provided, every person of sound mind Will of infant invalid 4. No will made by any person under the age of majority shall be valid. Mode of execution
(1) No will shall be valid unless it is in writing and executed in manner hereinafter mentioned.
(2) Every will shall be signed at the foot or end thereof by the testator or by some other person in his presence and by his direction; such signature shall be made or acknowledged by the testator as the signature to his will in the presence of two or more witnesses present at the same time, and such witnesses shall subscribe the will in the presence of the testator, but no form of attestation shall be necessary: Provided that every will shall, as far only as regards the position of the sıgnature of the testator, or of the person signing tor hım as aforesaid, be deemed to be valid under this section if the sıgnature shall be so placed at or after, or following, or under, or beside, or opposite to the end of the will, that it shall be apparent on the face of the will that the testator intended to give effect by such his signature to the writing signed as his will; and no such will shall be affected by the circumstance-
(a) that the signature shall not follow or be immediately after the foot or end of the will; or
(b) that a blank space shall intervene between the concluding word of the will and the signature; or
(c) betli eilow or be aher p mtc tieonts el amuesoni n either with or without a blank space intervening, or shall follow or be after, or under, or beside the names or one
(d) that the signature shall be on a side or page or other portion of the paper or papers containing the will whereon no clause or paragraph or disposing part of the will shall be written above the signature; or
(e) that there shall appear to be sufficient space on or at the bottom of the preceding side or page or other portion of the same paper on which the will is written to contain the signature, and the enumeration of the above circumstances shall not restrict to gieneralicy of ahy prpoiso buordisignamve shall bunperacave or which follows it, nor shall it give effect to any disposition or direction inserted after the signature shall be made. Execution of appointment by will
(1) Dalam Akta ini, melainkan jika terdapat sesuatu yang tidak bersesuaian mengenai perkara atau konteks—
“harta” termasuklah tanah, pajakan, sewaan dan hereditamen zahir, tidak zahir atau persendirian dan apa-apa syer individu daripadanya dan apa-apa estet, hak atau kepentingan dalamnya atau berhubung dengannya, wang, syer Kerajaan dan kumpulan wang lain, sekuriti bagi wang, gadaian, hutang, hak dalam tindakan, hak, kredit, barang-barang dan semua harta lain apa-apa jua pun yang diturunkan ke atas wasi atau pentadbir dan apa-apa syer atau kepentingan dalamnya dan apa-apa kepentingan kontingen, eksekutori atau hadapan yang lain;
“Semenanjung Malaysia” mempunyai erti yang diberikan kepadanya dalam seksyen 3 Akta Tafsiran 1948 dan 1967 [Akta 388], dan termasuklah Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur;
“wasiat” ertinya suatu perisytiharan yang dimaksudkan untuk mempunyai kesan undang-undang bagi niat seorang pewasiat mengenai hartanya atau perkara lain yang dihasratkan olehnya untuk dilaksanakan selepas kematiannya dan termasuklah suatu testamen, kodisil dan suatu pelantikan melalui wasiat atau melalui tulisan atas sifat suatu wasiat dalam menjalankan suatu kuasa dan juga suatu pemindahan melalui wasiat atau testamen bagi penjagaan, jagaan dan tuisyen mana-mana anak.
(2) Akta ini tidak terpakai bagi wasiat orang yang menganuti agama Islam yang kuasa perwasiatan hendaklah kekal tidak tersentuh oleh apa-apa pun yang terkandung dalam Akta ini.
Kecuali sebagaimana yang diperuntukkan kemudian daripada ini, tiap-tiap orang yang sempurna akal boleh mendeviskan, mewariskan atau memindahkan melalui wasiatnya, yang disempurnakan mengikut cara yang dikehendaki kemudian daripada ini, semua harta yang dipunyai olehnya atau yang kepadanya dia berhak sama ada di sisi undang-undang atau dalam ekuiti pada masa kematiannya walau apa pun bahawa dia boleh menjadi berhak ke atas harta itu kemudian daripada penyempurnaan wasiat itu.
Tiada wasiat yang dibuat oleh mana-mana orang di bawah umur dewasa boleh menjadi sah.
_____________________________________________________________ CATATAN—Semua sebutan mengenai “Malaysia Barat” hendaklah ditafsirkan sebagai sebutan mengenai “Semenanjung Malaysia”– lihat Akta Tafsiran (Pindaan) 1997 [Akta A996], subseksyen 5(2).
Wasiat
(1) Tiada wasiat boleh menjadi sah melainkan jika ia dibuat secara bertulis dan disempurnakan mengikut cara yang disebut kemudian daripada ini.
(2) Tiap-tiap wasiat hendaklah ditandatangani pada kaki atau di akhir wasiat itu oleh pewasiat itu atau oleh orang lain di hadapannya dan dengan arahannya; tandatangan itu hendaklah dibuat atau diakui oleh pewasiat sebagai tandatangan kepada wasiatnya di hadapan dua saksi atau lebih yang hadir pada masa yang sama, dan saksi-saksi itu hendaklah menandatangani wasiat itu di hadapan pewasiat itu, tetapi tiada bentuk pengakusaksian boleh diperlukan:
Dengan syarat bahawa tiap-tiap wasiat hendaklah, setakat yang hanya berkenaan dengan kedudukan tandatangan pewasiat itu, atau orang yang menandatangani baginya seperti yang disebut terdahulu, disifatkan sebagai sah di bawah seksyen ini jika tandatangan itu diletakkan pada atau selepas, atau yang berikutnya, atau di bawah, atau di sebelah, atau bertentangan di akhir wasiat itu, bahawa hendaklah nyata di atas muka wasiat itu bahawa pewasiat itu bermaksud untuk memberi kesan dengan tandatangannya yang sedemikian kepada tulisan yang ditandatangani sebagai wasiatnya; dan tiada wasiat sedemikian boleh terjejas oleh hal keadaan—
(a) bahawa tandatangan itu tidak mengikut atau sebaik selepas kaki atau di akhir wasiat itu;
(b) bahawa suatu ruang kosong hendaklah mencelah di antara kata penutup wasiat itu dengan tandatangan itu;
(c) bahawa tandatangan itu diletakkan dalam kalangan perkataan klausa testimoni atau klausa pengakusaksian, atau hendaklah mengikut atau selepas atau di bawah klausa pengakusaksian, sama ada dengan atau tanpa ruang kosong yang mencelah, atau hendaklah mengikut atau ada selepas, atau di bawah, atau di sebelah nama atau salah satu daripada nama saksi penandatangan;
(d) bahawa tandatangan itu hendaklah berada di suatu sisi atau halaman atau bahagian lain kertas itu atau kertas-kertas yang mengandungi wasiat itu yang padanya tiada klausa atau perenggan atau bahagian yang memindahkan wasiat itu boleh ditulis di atas tandatangan itu; atau
(e) bahawa terdapat ruang yang cukup di atas atau di bawah sisi atau halaman yang sebelumnya atau bahagian lain daripada kertas yang sama yang di atasnya wasiat itu ditulis mengandungi tandatangan itu,
dan sebutan satu persatu hal keadaan di atas tidaklah menyekat keluasan makna proviso ini; tetapi tiada tandatangan boleh dikuatkuasakan untuk memberi kesan kepada apa-apa pemindahan atau arahan yang di bawahnya atau yang mengikutnya, dan tiada ia memberi kesan kepada apa-apa pemindahan atau arahan yang dimasukkan selepas tandatangan itu dibuat.
(1) No appointment made by will, in exercise of any power, shall be valid, unless the same is executed in manner hereinbefore required.
(2) Every will executed in manner hereinbefore required shall, so far as respects the execution and attestation thereot, be a valid execution of a power of appointment by will, notwithstanding that it shall have been expressly required that a will made in exercise of such power should be executed with some additional Publication of will not necessary
Every will executed in manner hereinbefore required shall be valid without any other publication thereof. Will not to be invalidated by reason of incompetency of attesting witness
If any person who attests the execution of a will shall at the time of the execution thereof or at any time afterwards be
ACт 346 incompetent to be admitted a witness to prove the execution thereof, such will shall not on that account be invalid. Gifts to an attesting witness or to wife or husband of attesting witness to be void
If any person attests the execution of any will to whom or to whose wife or husband any beneficial devise, legacy, estate, estate, interest, gift or appointment shall, so far only as concerns such person attesting the execution of such will, or the wife or husband of such person, or any person claiming under such person or wife or husband, be utterly null and void, and such person so attesting shall be admitted as a witness to prove the execution or to prove the validity or invalidity thereof, notwithstanding such devise, legacy, interest, gift of appointment mentioned in such will. Creditor attesting a will charging estate with debts shall be admitted a witness
In case by any will any property shall be charged with any debt or debts, and any creditor, or the wife or husband of any creditor, whose debt is so charged, shall attest the execution of such will, such creditor notwithstanding such charge shall be admitted a witness to prove the execution of such will, or to prove the validity or invalidity thereof. Executor not incompetent to be a witness
No person shall, on account of his being an executor of a will, be incompetent to be admitted a witness to prove the execution of such will or a witness to prove the validity or invalidity thereof. Will to be revoked by marriage except in certain cases
Every will made by a man or woman shall be revoked by his or her marriage, except a will made in exercise of a power of appointment, when the property thereby appointed would not in default of such appointment pass to his or her heir, executor or adminıstrator or the person entitled in case of his or her intestacy:
No will shall be revoked by any presumption of an intention on the ground of an alteration in circumstances. Revocation of will
No will or any part thereof shall be revoked otherwise than as aforesaid, or by another will executed in manner hereinbefore required, or by some writing declaring an intention to revoke the same, and executed in the manner in which a will is hereinbefore required to be executed, or by the burning, tearing or otherwise destroying the same by the testator, or by some person in his presence and by his direction, with the intention of revoking the same. Effect of obliteration, interlineation or alteration
No obliteration, interlineation or other alteration made in any will after the execution thereof shall be valid or have any effect except so far as the words or effect of the will before such alteration shall not be apparent, unless such alteration shall be executed in like manner as hereinbefore is required for the execution of the will; but the will, with such alteration as part thereof, shall be deemed to be duly executed if the signature of the testator and the subscription of the witnesses be made in the margin or on some other part of the will opposite or near to such alteration or at the foot or end of or opposite to a memorandum referring to such alteration and written at the end or some other part of the will. Revival of revoked will
(1) No will or any part thereof which has been revoked in any manner shall be revived otherwise than by the re-execution
Aст 346 thereof, or by a codicil executed in manner hereinbefore required, and showing an intention to revive the same. st bsequent conveyance or other acts not to prevent operation
No transfer, conveyance, assignment or other act made or operation of the will or codicil with respect to such estate, right, share or interest in such property as the testator shall have power to dispose of by will at the time of his death Wills shall be construed to speak from the death of the testator
Every will shall be construed, with reference to the property comprised in it, to speak and take effect as if it had been executed immediately before the death of the testator, unless a contrary intention shall appear by the will. Residuary devises or bequests shall include estates comprised in lapsed and void devises or bequests
Unless a contrary intention appears by the will, such property as is comprised or intended to be comprised in any devise or bequest in such will contained, which fails or is void by reason of the death of the devisee or legatee in the lifetime of the testator or by reason of such devise or bequest being contrary to law or otherwise incapable of taking effect, shall be included in the residuary devise or bequest respectively, if any, contained in the will. General devise or bequest of property shall include property over which the testator has general power of appointment
A general devise or bequest of the estate or property of the testator described in a general manner shall be construed to
include any property to which such description shall extend which he may have power to appoint in any manner he may think proper and shall operate as an execution of such power unless a contrary intention shall appear in the will. Devise or bequest without words of limitation sonstrcd to pas ne te tignt ar hec tho ngai o he wae dispose of by will uheps fi aypears by the will thap omly a restricted interest was intended for such devisee or legatee. Construction of words importing want or failure of issue
Jika harta dideviskan atau dibekueskan kepada mana-mana orang tanpa apa-apa perkataan pembatasan, devis atau bekues itu hendaklah ditafsirkan melepaskan tanpa menerima apa-apa atau mendapat apa-apa kelebihan kepada keseluruhan harta pusaka atau kepentingan dalam harta itu yang pewasiat mempunyai kuasa untuk melupuskan melalui wasiat melainkan jika ternyata melalui wasiat itu bahawa hanya suatu kepentingan terhad dimaksudkan bagi penerima devis atau penerima legasi itu.
In any devise or bequest of property the words "die without issue" or "die without leaving issue" , or any other words which may import either a want or failure of issue of any person in his litetime or at the time of his death, or an indefinite failure of his issue, shall be construed to mean a want or failure of issue in the lifetime or at the time of the death of such person, and not an indefinite failure of his issue, unless a contrary intention shall appear by the will: Provided that this section shall not extend to cases where such words as aforesaid import if no issue described in a preceding gift shall be born, or if there shall be no issue who shall live to attain the age or otherwise answer the description required for obtaining a vested estate by a preceding gift to such issue. Devise or bequest of property to trustee or executor
Where any property shall be devised or bequeathed to any trustee or executor, such devise or bequest shall be construed to pass the tee simple or other the right to the whole estate or interest in such property which the testator had power to dispose of by will unless à lesser interest in such property shall thereby be given to him expressly or by implication. Devise or bequest of property to trustee without limitation
Where any property shall be devised or bequeathed to a trustee, without any express limitation of the estate to be taken by
ACT 346 fite, bu, ons uch poses of the trust say congive beyony the iite of or pass to such trustes e hr fee sisp sle, o be tren sthe ri to vos tie Devises or bequests to children or other issue who leave issue living at the testator's death shall not lapse
Where any person, being a child or other issue of the testator, to whom any property shall be devised or bequeathed for any estate or interest not determinable at or before the death of such person shall die in the lifetime of the testator leaving issue, and any such issue of such person shall be living at the time of the eath ot the testator, s shalltakeettetor thedeatteofsugonadlad ımmediately atter the death of the testator, unless a contrary intention shall appear by the will. Privileged wills of soldiers, airmen and sailors
(1) A member of the armed forces of Malaysia being in or Ms ropery or of the gundandip. esntedy am rutio oure. child or may exercise a power of appointment exercisable by will by a privileged will.
(2) For the purposes of this section a privileged will means tesaor: Mitin e desieso De amrd or torie guaclanstin., custody and tuition of a child or to the exercise of a power of appointment.
(3) A declaration may be a valid privileged will notwithstanding saosecu ban g ececte orma r i o gc ftre (0 tis testamentary dispositions, unless it appears that the failure to execute such declaration in such manner or such formal will was
due to the abandonment by the testator of the testamentary intentions expressed by such declaration.
(4) Sections 4, 5 and 6 shall not apply to privileged wills, nor is it necessary for a written privileged will to be signed by the testator. peao mil tie eiot od on mo nga nir te et oa ingt still alive has ceased to be entitled to make a privileged will. Wills executed abroad 2y. A will executed outside Malaysia in the manner required
(a) this Act, or
(b) the law of the place where it was executed, or
(c) the law of the testator's domicile at the time of its execution, or
(d) the law of the testator's domicile at the time of his death, Wills by citizens executed in Malaysia
Suatu wasiat yang disempurnakan di luar Malaysia mengikut cara yang dikehendaki oleh—
(a) Akta ini;
(b) undang-undang tempat ia telah disempurnakan;
(c) undang-undang domisil pewasiat itu pada masa penyempurnaannya; atau
Wasiat
(d) undang-undang domisil pewasiat itu pada masa kematiannya,
hendaklah disifatkan sebagai wasiat yang disempurnakan bagi maksud diterima sebagai probet di Malaysia, dengan syarat bahawa wasiat itu secara bertulis atau merupakan suatu wasiat terlindung yang dibuat di bawah seksyen 26.
A will executed withın Malaysia by a citızen (whatever may be the domicile of such person at the time of making the same or at the time of his death) shall as regards movable property and immovable property situate in Malaysia be deemed to be a will executed for the purpose of being admitted to probate in Malaysia if it is executed in the manner required by this Act. Change of domicile not to invalidate will
No will shall be held to be revoked or to have become invalid in point of form nor shall the construction thereot be altered by reason only of any subsequent change of domicile of the person making the same.
Construction of wills Аст 346
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1) a will re-executed, re- published or revived by a codicil shall be deemed to have been made at the time when it was so re-executed, re-published or revived.
(3) Save as provided by subsection (1) and subject to this Act,
(1) Suatu wasiat yang dibuat di mana-mana Negeri Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan atau Pahang sebelum permulaan kuat kuasa Akta ini dan suatu wasiat yang dibuat di mana-mana Negeri Pulau Pinang dan Melaka hendaklah, jika wasiat itu sebaik sebelum permulaan kuat kuasa Akta ini ditafsirkan mengikut Enakmen Wasiat 1938 [N.M.B.5 tahun 1938], bagi Negeri-Negeri Melayu Bersekutu atau Ordinan Wasiat bagi Negeri-Negeri Selat [N.N.S. Bab 53] masing-masing, terus ditafsirkan mengikut peruntukan itu, walau apa pun apa-apa pemansuhan Enakmen atau Ordinan itu.
(2) Bagi maksud subseksyen (1), suatu wasiat yang disempurnakan semula, disiarkan semula atau dihidupkan semula melalui suatu kodisil hendaklah disifatkan telah dibuat pada masa wasiat itu disempurnakan semula, disiarkan semula atau dihidupkan semula.
(3) Kecuali sebagaimana yang diperuntukkan oleh subseksyen (1) dan tertakluk pada Akta ini, seksyen 100 Akta Keterangan 1950 [Akta 56] hendaklah terpakai bagi pentafsiran semua wasiat yang dikehendaki ditafsirkan mengikut undang-undang Malaysia seolah-olah perkataan “dalam Negeri-Negeri Selat atau mana-mana satu daripadanya” yang terdapat dalam seksyen itu telah ditinggalkan.
(Omitted).
Amending law Act 23/67 ... ...
Source: Laws of Malaysia, Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia (lom.agc.gov.my). Not a copy of the Gazette printed by the Government Printer (Interpretation Acts 1948 and 1967, s 61).
