Text recovered by OCR from a scanned copy — section numbers and wording may be wrong. Check the official PDF on lom.agc.gov.my before citing.
s 32 Detention and forfeiture of vessel, etc.
(1) Any article, vessel or thing detained under the provision of this Act or any applicable written law shall, unless otherwise provided under this Act, be held pending the outcome of any proceedings under this Act or such written law:
Provided, however, that an authorized officer or the court may release the article, vessel or thing so detained upon the furnishing of a bond or other security to the satisfaction of the authorized officer or the court by any person claiming ownership, or acting on behalf of the owner, of the article, vessel or thing to produce the same when required so to do.
(2) Where an article, vessel, or thing is detained under the provisions of this Act or any applicable written law, the authorized officer who detains the article, vessel or thing shall, as soon as may be, cause notice thereof to be given in writing to the owner; and where the owner cannot be found, a notice to that effect shall be published in the Gazette and, if the article, vessel or thing is foreign-owned, the authorized officer shall cause the diplomatic representative in Malaysia of the flag State of the vessel concerned or of the country of which the owner of the article or thing is a national to be informed of such fact through the Ministry responsible for foreign affairs.
(3) If the owner of the article, vessel or thing cannot be found in spite of all courses of action taken under subsection (2) and by reason of the owner not being found proceedings under this Act or any applicable written law cannot be instituted, the article, vessel or thing detained shall be held for a period of one month from the date of the last course of action taken under subsection (2) at the end of which period the article, vessel or thing shall be forfeited to the Government unless a claim is received in respect thereof within the aforesaid period, in which event an enquiry shall be held by a court of competent jurisdiction to determine the validity of the claim and the article, vessel or thing shall be disposed of in such manner as the court may direct.
Malay text (authoritative)
(1) Mana-mana benda, vesel atau barang yang ditahan di bawah peruntukan-peruntukan Akta ını atau mana-mana undang-undang bertulis yang terpakai hendaklah, melainkan jika diperuntukkan selainnya di bawah Akta ini, ditahankan sementara menunggu keputusan mana-mana prosiding di bawah Akta ini atau undang-undang bertulis tersebut: Dengan syarat,bagaimanapun, bahawa seorang pegawai berkuasa atau mahkamah boleh melepaskan benda, vesel atau barang yang ditahan sedemikian setelah diberi suatu bon atau sekuriti-sekuriti lain dengan memuaskan hati pegawai berkuasa atau mahkamah oleh mana-mana orang yang menuntut keempunyaan, atau bertindak bagi pihak pemunya, benda, vesel atau barang supaya mengeluarkannya apabila dikehendaki berbuat demikian.
(2) Jika benda, vesel atau barang yang ditahan di bawah peruntukan-peruntukan Akta ini atau manamana undang-undang bertulis yang terpakai, pegawai berkuasa yang menahan benda, vesel atau barang hendaklah, secepat yang dapat, memberı notıs mengenaınya sicara be, suatu adais nanya bormaksud sedemikian hendaklah disıarkan dalam W arta dan, Jika benda, vesel atau barang itu ialah keempunyaan orang asing, pegawai berkuasa itu hendaklah menyebabkan wakil diplomat di Malaysia diberitahu mengenai bendera Negara vesel yang berkenaan atau mengenai negara pemunya benda atau barang itu ialah seorang rakyat melalui Kementerian yang bertanggungjawab mengenai halehwal luar negeri.
[Bah. IX, S. 32-35]
(3) Jika pemunya benda, vesel atau barang tidak boleh dijumpai walaupun segala tindakan telah diambil di bawah subseksyen (2) dan oleh kerananya pemunya tidak boleh dijumpai prosiding di bawah Akta ini atau mana-mana undang-undang bertulis yang terpakaı tıdak dapat dımulakan, benda, vesel atau barang yang dıtahan hendaklah dipegang selama satu bulan dari tarikh tindakan terakhir yang dıambı dı bawah subseksyen (2) yang pada akhir tempohnya benda, vesel atau barang itu hendaklah dilucuthak kepada Kerajaan melainkan suatu tuntutan diterima mengenainya dalam tempoh yang tersebut di atas dan dalam hal yang demikian suatu siasatan hendaklah diadakan olehu mahkamah yang berbidang kuasa kompeten untuk memutuskan keesahan tuntutan dan benda, vesel atau barang itu hendaklah dilupuskan mengikut apa-apa cara sebagaimana yang diarahkan oleh mahkamah.
Text as at 1 January 2006 (LOM reprint); amendments made after that date may not be incorporated.
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).
