Section 1
(1)
This Act may be cited as the Distribution Act 1958.
*(2) This Act shall apply to Peninsular Malaysia only.
/akn/my/act/act/1958/300
DISTRIBUTION ACT 1958
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- Type
- Act
- Status
- In force
- Enacted
- 1958
- Sections
- 10
- Languages
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Quick answer
About this act
DISTRIBUTION ACT 1958 is Malaysia Act, cited as Act 300 1958, currently marked in force and first recorded in 1958.
Opening note
Preamble
- An Act relating to the law of distribution of intestate estates. [Peninsular Malaysia—1 May 1958; Sarawak—12 December 1986, P.U. (A) 446/1986] Short title and application
Section 2
Application
Nothing in this Act shall apply to the estate of any person professing the Muslim religion or shall affect any rules of Muslim law as varied by local custom in respect of the distribution of the estate of any such person nor shall this Act apply to any estate, the distribution of which is governed by the Parsee Intestate
Succession Ordinance of the Straits Settlements [S.S. Cap. 54].
Interpretation
*3.
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—
“child” means a legitimate child and where the deceased is permitted by his personal law a plurality of wives includes a child by any of such wives, but does not include an adopted child other than a child adopted under the provisions of the Adoption Act 1952 [Act 257];
*NOTE—In its application to Sarawak—see Modification of Laws (Distribution) Act 1958) (Extension to the State of Sarawak) Order 1986 [P.U. (A) 446/1986].
“intestate” includes any person who leaves a will but dies intestate as to some beneficial interest in his property;
“issue” includes children and the descendants of deceased children;
“parent” means the natural mother or father of a child, or the lawful mother or father of a child under the Adoption Act 1952;
“Peninsular Malaysia” has the meaning assigned thereto in section 3 of the Interpretation Acts 1948 and 1967 [Act 388], and includes the Federal Territory.
Law regulating distribution
Section 4
(2)
The distribution of the immovable property of a person deceased intestate shall be regulated by this Act wherever he may have been domiciled at the time of his death.
Persons held to be similarly related to deceased
Section 5
For the purpose of distribution under this Act, there shall be no distinction between those who are related to the deceased person through his father and those who are related to him through his mother, nor between those who are related to him by the full blood and those who are related by the half blood, nor between those who were actually born in his lifetime and those who at the date of his death were only conceived in the womb but who have subsequently been born alive.
Section 6
Succession to intestate estates
(a)
if an intestate dies leaving a spouse and no issue and no parent or parents, the surviving spouse shall be entitled to the whole of the estate;
(b)
if an intestate dies leaving no issue but a spouse and a parent or parents, the surviving spouse shall be entitled to one-half of the estate and the parent or parents shall be entitled to the remaining one-half;
(c)
if an intestate dies leaving issue but no spouse and no parent or parents, the surviving issue shall be entitled to the whole of the estate;
(d)
if an intestate dies leaving no spouse and no issue but a parent or parents, the surviving parent or parents shall be entitled to the whole of the estate;
(e)
if an intestate dies leaving a spouse and issue but no parent or parents, the surviving spouse shall be entitled to one-third of the estate and the issue the remaining two-thirds;
(f)
if an intestate dies leaving no spouse but issue and a parent or parents, the surviving issue shall be entitled to two-thirds of the estate and the parent or parents the remaining one-third;
(g)
if an intestate dies leaving a spouse, issue and parent or parents, the surviving spouse shall be entitled to one-quarter of the estate, the issue shall be entitled to one-half of the estate and the parent or parents the remaining one-quarter;
(h)
subject to the rights of a surviving spouse or a parent or parents, as the case may be, the estate of an intestate who leaves issue shall be held on the trusts set out in section 7 for the issue;
(i)
if an intestate dies leaving no spouse, issue, parent or parents, the whole of the estate of the intestate shall be held on trusts for the following persons living at the death of the intestate and in the following order and manner, namely:
Firstly, on the trusts set out in section 7 for the brothers and sisters of the intestate in equal shares; but if no person takes an absolutely vested interest under such trusts, then
Secondly, for the grandparents of the intestate, and if more than one survive the intestate in equal shares absolutely; but if there are no grandparents surviving, then
Thirdly, on the trusts set out in section 7 for the uncles and aunts of the intestate in equal shares; but if no person takes an absolutely vested interest under such trusts, then
Fourthly, for the great grandparents of the intestate and if more than one survive the intestate in equal shares absolutely; but if there are no such great grandparents surviving, then
Fifthly, on the trusts set out in section 7 for the great grand uncles and great grand aunts of the intestate in equal shares.
(j)
In default of any person taking an absolute interest under the foregoing provisions the Government shall be entitled to the whole of the estate except insofar as the same consists of land.
(2)
If any person so dying intestate be permitted by his personal law a plurality of wives and shall leave surviving him more wives than one, such wives shall share among them equally the share which the wife of the intestate would have been entitled to, had such intestate left one wife only surviving him.
(3)
When the intestate and the intestate’s husband or wife have died in circumstances rendering it uncertain which of them survived the other, this section shall, notwithstanding any rule of law to the contrary, have effect as regards the intestate as if the husband or wife had not survived the intestate.
Distribution 9
Trusts in favour of issue and other classes of relatives of intestate
Section 7
(2)
Where under section 6 the estate of an intestate or any part thereof is directed to be held on the trusts set out in this section for any class of relatives of the deceased other than issue of the intestate, the same shall be held on trusts corresponding to the trusts set out in subsection (1) of this section for the issue of the intestate as if such trusts were repeated with the substitution of references to the members or member of that class for references to the children or child of the intestate.
(3)
If the trusts in favour of the issue of the intestate fail by reason of no child or other issue attaining an absolutely vested interest, the estate of the intestate and the income thereof and all accumulations, if any, of the income thereof or so much thereof as may not have been paid or applied under any power affecting the same, shall go, devolve and be held under the provisions of this Act as if the intestate had died without leaving issue living at the death of the intestate, and accordingly references in section 6 to the intestate “leaving issue” and “leaving no issue” shall be construed respectively as referring to the intestate leaving issue or leaving no issue who attain an absolutely vested interest.
Application to cases of partial intestacy
Section 8
Where any person dies leaving a will beneficially disposing of part of his property, the provisions of this Act shall have effect as respects the part of his property not so disposed of, subject to the provisions contained in the will:
Provided that the personal representative shall, subject to his rights and powers for the purposes of administration, be a trustee for the persons entitled under this Act in respect of the part of the estate not expressly disposed of unless it appears by the will that the personal representative is entitled to take such part beneficially.
Section 9
Children’s advancements not to be taken into account
Where a distributive share of the property of a person dying intestate is claimed by a child or any descendant of a child of such person, no money or other property which the intestate may during his life have paid, given or settled to or for the advancement of the child by whom or by whose descendant the claim is made shall be taken into account in estimating such distributive share.
Section 10
Repeal
The Enactments set out in the Schedule to this Act are repealed.
Schedule
[Section 10]
F.M.S. Cap.
The Distribution Enactment
Johore Enactment No. 13 of 1935
The Distribution Enactment 1935
Kelantan Enactment No. 15 of 1930
The Distribution Enactment 1930
Kedah Enactment No. 22 of 1354
The Distribution Enactment
Distribution 11
Act 300
LIST OF AMENDMENTS
Amending law
Short title
In force from
Act A281
Distribution (Amendment) Act 1975 28-02-1975
Act A1004
Distribution (Amendment) Act 1997 31-08-1997
Act 300
LIST OF SECTIONS AMENDED
Section
Amending authority
In force from 3
Act A1004 31-08-1997 6
Act A1004 31-08-1997 7
Act A281 28-02-1975
KUALA LUMPUR
Common questions
- What is DISTRIBUTION ACT 1958?
- DISTRIBUTION ACT 1958 is Malaysia Act, cited as Act 300 1958, currently marked in force and first recorded in 1958.
- Is DISTRIBUTION ACT 1958 still in force?
- Yes — DISTRIBUTION ACT 1958 is currently in force.
- When did DISTRIBUTION ACT 1958 take effect?
- DISTRIBUTION ACT 1958 was first recorded in 1958.
- How many sections does DISTRIBUTION ACT 1958 have?
- DISTRIBUTION ACT 1958 contains 9 sections.
- Where can I read the official version of DISTRIBUTION ACT 1958?
- The official text of DISTRIBUTION ACT 1958 is published at lom.agc.gov.my.