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s 22 Taking of evidence for criminal proceedings
(1) Where a request is made by the appropriate authority of a prescribed foreign State that evidence be taken in Malaysia for the purpose of any criminal proceedings pending in a court in the prescribed foreign State, the Attorney General may, subject to such conditions as the Attorney General may specify, authorize the taking of such evidence.
(2) If the Attorney General authorizes the taking of the evidence under subsection (1), a Sessions Court Judge shallβ
(a) take the evidence on oath of each witness appearing before him to give evidence in relation to the criminal matter as if the witness were giving evidence on a charge against a person for an offence against the laws of Malaysia;
(b) cause the evidence to be reduced into writing and certify at the end of that writing that the evidence was taken by him; and
(c) cause the evidence so certified to be sent to the Attorney General.
(3) The proceedings may be conducted in the presence or absence of the person to whom the criminal proceedings in the prescribed foreign State relates or of his legal representative, if any.
(4) The Sessions Court Judge conducting proceedings under subsection (2) shall allow the following persons to have legal representation at the proceedings before the Sessions Court Judge:
(a) the person to whom the proceedings in the prescribed foreign State relates;
(b) any other person giving evidence or producing any materials or articles at the proceedings before the Sessions Court Judge; and
(c) the appropriate authority of the prescribed foreign State.
(5) The certificate referred to in subsection (2) shall state whether the person to whom the criminal proceedings in the prescribed foreign State relates or his legal representative, if any, was present at the proceedings.
(6) The laws for the time being in force with respect to the compelling of persons to attend before a Sessions Court Judge, and to give evidence, answer questions and produce materials or articles shall, in so far as they are applicable, apply for the purposes of this section as if it were a hearing of a charge against a person for an offence against the laws of Malaysia.
(7) Notwithstanding subsection (6), for the purposes of this section, the person to whom the criminal proceedings in the prescribed foreign State relates is competent, but not compellable, to give evidence.
(8) Notwithstanding subsection (6), no person who is required under this section to give evidence for the purposes of any criminal proceedings in a prescribed foreign State shall be required to answer any question that the person could not be compelled to answer in those proceedings in that prescribed foreign State.
(9) A duly certified foreign law immunity certificate is admissible in proceedings under this section as prima facie evidence of the matters stated in the certificate.
(10) Evidence taken under this section shall not be admissible in evidence or otherwise used for the purposes of any judicial proceedings, disciplinary proceedings, or other proceedings in Malaysia except in a prosecution of the person who gave that evidence for the offence of perjury or contempt of court in respect of that evidence.
(11) Notwithstanding subsection (10), evidence taken under this section may be used for impeaching the credibility of the person who gave the evidence in any judicial proceedings for the purposes under the Evidence Act 1950.
Malay text (authoritative)
(1) Jika suatu permintaan dibuat oleh pihak berkuasa yang berkenaan suatu Negara asing yang ditetapkan supaya keterangan diambil di Malaysia bagi maksud mana-mana prosiding jenayah yang masih belum selesai di suatu mahkamah di Negara asing yang ditetapkan itu, Peguam Negara boleh, tertakluk kepada syaratsyarat yang ditentukan oleh Peguam Negara, membenarkan pengambilan keterangan itu.
(2) Jika Peguam Negara membenarkan pengambilan keterangan di bawah subseksyen (1), Hakim Mahkamah Sesyen hendaklah-
(a) mengambil keterangan bersumpah setiap saksi yang hadir di hadapannya untuk memberikan keterangan berhubung dengan perkara jenayah itu seolah-olah saksi itu memberikan keterangan atas pertuduhan terhadap seseorang bagi suatu kesalahan terhadap undang-undang Malaysia; (b.) menyebabkan keterangan itu ditulis dan memperakui di hujung tulisan itu bahawa keterangan itu telah diambil olehnya; dan
(c) menyebabkan supaya keterangan yang diperakui sedemikian dihantar kepada Peguam Negara.
(3) Prosiding itu boleh dijalankan dengan kehadiran atau tanpa kehadiran orang yang dengannya prosiding jenayah di Negara asing yang ditetapkan itu berhubungan atau wakilnya di sisi undangundang, jika ada.
(4) Hakim Mahkamah Sesyen yang menjalankan prosiding di bawah subseksyen (2) hendaklah membenarkan orang yang berikut
mempunyai wakil di sisi undang-undang dalam prosiding di hadapan Hakim Mahkamah Sesyen itu:
(a) orang yang dengannya prosiding di Negara asΔ±ng yang ditetapkan itu berkaitan;
(b) mana-mana orang lain yang memberikan keterangan atau mengemukakan apa-apa bahan atau barang dalam prosiding di hadapan Hakim Mahkamah Sesyen itu; dan
(c) pihak berkuasa yang berkenaan Negara asing yang ditetapkan itu.
(5) Perakuan yang disebut dalam subseksyen (2) hendaklah menyatakan sama ada orang yang dengannya prosiding jenayah di Negara asing yang ditetapkan itu berkaitan atau wakilnya di sisi undang-undang, jika ada, hadir dalam prosiding itu.
(6) Undang-undang yang sedang berkuat kuasa berkenaan dengan pemaksaan orang supaya hadir di hadapan Hakim Mahkamah Sesyen, dan untuk memberikan keterangan, menjawab soalan dan mengemukakan bahan atau barang hendaklah, setakat yang undangundang itu berkenaan, terpakai bagi maksud seksyen ini seolaholah ia ialah suatu pendengaran bagi suatu pertuduhan terhadap seseorang bagi suatu kesalahan terhadap undang-undang Malaysia.
(7) Walau apa pun subseksyen (6), bagi maksud seksyen ini, orang yang dengannya prosiding jenayah di Negara asing yang ditetapkan itu berkaitan adalah kompeten, tetapΔ± tΔ±dak boleh dΔ±paksa, untuk memberikan keterangan.
(8) Walau apa pun subseksyen (6), tiada seorang pun yang dikehendakΔ± di bawah seksyen ini supaya memberikan keterangan bagi maksud mana-mana prosiding jenayah di sesuatu Negara asing yang ditetapkan boleh dikehendaki menjawab apa-apa soalan yang orang Δ±tu tΔ±dak boleh dipaksa untuk menjawabnya dalam prosiding itu di Negara asing yang ditetapkan itu.
(9) Suatu perakuan kekebalan undang-undang asing yang diperakui dengan sewajarnya boleh diterima dalam prosiding di bawah seksyen ini sebagai keterangan prima facie tentang perkara yang dinyatakan dalam perakuan itu.
(10) Keterangan yang diambil di bawah seksyen ini tidak boleh diterima sebagai keterangan atau digunakan selainnya bagi maksud mana-mana prosiding kehakiman, prosiding tatatertib, atau prosiding
lain di Malaysia kecuali dalam pendakwaan orang yang memberikan keterangan itu bagi kesalahan sumpah bohong atau penghinaan mahkamah berkenaan dengan keterangan itu.
(11) Walau apa pun subseksyen (10), keterangan yang diambil di bawah seksyen ini boleh digunakan untuk mencabar kebolehpercayaan orang yang memberikan keterangan itu dalam mana-mana prosiding kehakiman bagi maksud itu di bawah Akta Keterangan 1950. Perintah pengemukaan bagi perkara jenayah
Read this section in the full act β Β· Open Part III β
Find Act 621 on lom.agc.gov.my β
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).
