Malaysia legislation
Section 25
Section 25
Prohibition against destruction of public records
(1)
Notwithstanding any written law to the contrary, no person shall, except with the prior written consent of the Director General, destroy or authorize the destruction of any public records which are in the custody or under the control of that person.
(2)
A person intending to destroy or authorize the destruction of any public records shall—
(a)
notify the Director General in the prescribed form of the intention to do so; and
(b)
in such notification, specify the nature of the public records in question.
(3)
The Director General may require any public records specified in a notification under subsection (2) to be made available to him for his inspection and he may inspect such records.
(4)
The Director General may, in accordance with section 26, consent to the destruction of the public records specified in the notification under subsection (2).
(5)
Any person who contravenes subsections (1) and (2) or who fails to have available any public record as required by the Director
General under subsection (3) commits an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding five thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both.
Disposal of public records 26.
The Director General may authorize the disposal of any public records or classes of public records which—
(a)
by reason of their number, kind or routine nature, do not in his opinion possess any permanent and enduring national or historical value or both;
(b)
are not required for reference purposes in any public office after—
(i)
action on the public records are completed;
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(ii)
the expiration of such period as may be agreed upon between the Director General and the administrative head of that public office; or
(c)
their physical condition does not permit their continued preservation.