National Heritage Act 2005 s 66
s 66 Ownership of underwater cultural heritage found during survey, salvage or excavation
(1) Any underwater cultural heritage discovered during any survey, salvage or excavation works shall vest in the Commissioner and shall be listed in the Register.
(2) Where the Commissioner takes possession of any underwater cultural heritage, he shall within forty-eight hours cause to be posted a list of the underwater cultural heritage in any port office within the district where the underwater cultural heritage was discovered.
(3) Any owner of the underwater cultural heritage may, upon establishing his claim to the satisfaction of the Commissioner, within one year from the time at which the underwater cultural heritage came into the possession of the Commissioner, and upon paying the salvage fees and expenses due, be entitled to have the possession of the underwater cultural heritage upon such terms and conditions as may be imposed by the Commissioner.
(4) An owner who fails to comply with any of the terms and conditions imposed under subsection (3) commits an offence.
(5) Where no owner establishes a claim within one year, the underwater cultural heritage shall be the absolute property of the Federal Government.
(6) Unless otherwise directed by the Minister, the Commissioner may preserve the underwater cultural heritage in situ.
Malay text (authoritative)
Pemunyaan warisan kebudayaan di bawah air yang dijumpai semasa pengukuran, salvaj atau penggalian
(1) Mana-mana warisan kebudayaan di bawah air yang dijumpai semasa mana-mana kerja mengukur, salvaj atau penggalian hendaklah terletak hak pada Pesuruhjaya dan hendaklah disenaraikan dalam Daftar.
(2) Jika Pesuruhjaya mengambil milikan mana-mana warisan kebudayaan di bawah air, dia hendaklah dalam masa empat puluh lapan jam menyebabkan suatu senarai warisan kebudayaan di bawah air ditampalkan di mana-mana pejabat pelabuhan dalam daerah tempat warisan kebudayaan di bawah air itu dijumpai.
(3) Mana-mana pemunya warisan kebudayaan di bawah air boleh, apabila membuktikan tuntutannya sehingga Pesuruhjaya berpuas hati, dalam masa satu tahun dari masa warisan kebudayaan di bawah air itu menjadi milikan Pesuruhjaya, dan apabila dibayar fi dan belanja salvaj yang kena dibayar, berhak untuk memiliki warisan kebudayaan di bawah air itu atas apa-apa terma dan syarat sebagaimana yang dikenakan oleh Pesuruhjaya.
(4) Seseorang pemunya yang tidak mematuhi apa-apa terma dan syarat yang dikenakan di bawah subseksyen (3) melakukan suatu kesalahan.
(5) Jika tiada pemunya membuktikan suatu tuntutan dalam masa satu tahun, warisan kebudayaan di bawah air itu hendaklah menjadi harta mutlak Kerajaan Persekutuan.
(6) Melainkan jika diarahkan selainnya oleh Menteri, Pesuruhjaya boleh memelihara warisan kebudayaan di bawah air secara in situ.
Read this section in the full act → · Open Part IX →
Find Act 645 on lom.agc.gov.my ↗
Text as at 1 June 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).
