Malaysia legislation

Section 10D

of *MONEYLENDERS ACT 1951

Section 10D

(2)

An Inspector or a senior police officer may, in the premises entered under subsection (1), inspect—

(a)

any book, account or document, including computerized data, which contains or is reasonably suspected to contain any information regarding any offence suspected to have been committed under this Act; and

(b)

any mark, signboard, card, letter, pamphlet, item, thing, article or goods that are reasonably believed to furnish evidence regarding the commission of such offence, and may seize such book, account, document or data or any copy or extract of such book, account, document or data, or such mark, signboard, card, letter, pamphlet, item, thing, article or goods.

(3)

An Inspector or a senior police officer conducting a search under subsection (1) may, if in his opinion it is reasonably necessary to do so for the purpose of investigating the offence, search any person who is in, or on, such premises and detain such person and

Moneylenders 31

remove him to such place as may be necessary to facilitate such search.

(4)

An Inspector or a senior police officer making a search of a person under subsection (3) may seize or take possession of any book, account, document, card, letter, pamphlet, item, thing, article or goods found on the person for the purpose of the investigation being carried out by the Inspector or a senior police officer.

(5)

Where, by reason of their nature, size or amount, it is not practicable to remove any book, account, document, mark, signboard, card, letter, pamphlet, item, thing, article or goods seized under this section, the Inspector or a senior police officer making the seizure shall, by any means, seal such book, account, document, mark, signboard, card, letter, pamphlet, item, thing, article or goods in the premises or container in which they are found.

(6)

A person who, without lawful authority, breaks, tampers with or damages the seal referred to in subsection (5) or removes any book, account, document, mark, signboard, card, letter, pamphlet, item, thing, article or goods under seal, or attempts to do so shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and shall be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fifteen months or to both.

(7)

Whenever it is necessary so to do, an Inspector or a senior police officer exercising any power under subsection (1) may—

(a)

break open any outer or inner door or window of any premises and enter into the premises, or otherwise forcibly enter into the premises and every part of the premises;

(b)

remove by force any obstruction to such entry, search, seizure, detention or removal as he is empowered to effect; or

(c)

detain any person found on any premises searched under subsection (1) until such premises have been searched.

32 Laws of Malaysia ACT 400

(8)

No person shall be searched under this section except by an

Inspector or a senior police officer who is of the same gender as the person to be searched.

Power of arrest