Official Secrets Act 1972 s 27
s 27 Exclusion of public during proceedings
In addition and without prejudice to any powers which a court may possess to order the exclusion of the public from any proceedings, if, in the course of proceedings before a court against any person for an offence under this Act or in the course of the proceedings on appeal, or in the course of the trial of a person for an offence under this Act, application is made by the prosecution, on the ground that the publication of any evidence to be given or of any statement to be made in the course of the proceedings would be prejudicial to the safety of Malaysia, that all or any portion of the public shall be excluded during any part of the hearing, the court may make an order to that effect, but the passing of sentence shall in any case take place in public.
Malay text (authoritative)
Orang ramai tidak dibenarkan hadir semasa prosiding
Sebagai tambahan kepada dan tanpa menjejaskan apa-apa kuasa yang ada pada mahkamah untuk memerintahkan supaya orang ramai tidak dibenarkan hadir dalam mana-mana prosiding, jika semasa prosiding di hadapan mahkamah terhadap seseorang bagi sesuatu kesalahan di bawah Akta ini atau semasa prosiding atas rayuan, atau semasa perbicaraan mengenai seseorang bagi sesuatu kesalahan di bawah Akta ini, permohonan dibuat oleh pihak pendakwa, atas alasan bahawa penyiaran apa-apa keterangan yang akan diberikan atau penyiaran apa-apa kenyataan yang akan dibuat dalam masa prosiding itu akan memudaratkan keselamatan Malaysia, supaya kesemua atau mana-mana golongan orang ramai
tidak dibenarkan hadir semasa mana-mana bahagian pendengaran itu, mahkamah boleh membuat suatu perintah bagi maksud itu, tetapi walau bagaimanapun penjatuhan hukuman hendaklah dilakukan di hadapan khalayak ramai.
Read this section in the full act →
Find Act 88 on lom.agc.gov.my ↗
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).
