Malaysia legislation
Section 8
Section 8
Powers of Commissioners
The Commissioners shall have the following powers:
(a)
to procure and receive all such evidence, written or oral, and to examine all such persons as witnesses as the Commissioners may think it necessary or desirable to procure or examine;
(b)
to require the evidence (whether written or oral) of any witness to be made on oath or affirmation (such oath or affirmation to be that which could be required of the witness if he were giving evidence in the High Court) or by statutory declaration;
(c)
to summon any person in Malaysia, or, in the case of a Commission issued by a State Authority, in such State, to attend any meeting of the Commissioners to give evidence or produce any document or other thing in his possession and to examine him as a witness or require him to produce any document or other thing in his possession;
(d)
to issue a warrant of arrest to compel the attendance of any person who, after having been summoned to attend, fails to do so, and does not excuse such failure to the satisfaction of the Commissioners, and to order him to pay all costs which may have been occasioned in compelling his attendance or by reason of his refusal to obey the summons, and also to fine such person a sum not exceeding fifty ringgit;
(e)
to fine in a sum not exceeding fifty ringgit any person who, being required by the Commissioners to give evidence on affirmation or to produce a document or other thing, refuses to do so and does not excuse such refusal to the satisfaction of the Commissioners;
(f)
notwithstanding any written law relating to evidence, to admit any evidence, whether written or oral, which might be inadmissible in civil or criminal proceedings;
(g)
subject to any direction contained in the Commission—
(i)
to admit or exclude the public from the enquiry or any part thereof; and
(ii)
to admit or exclude the press from the enquiry or any part thereof; and
(h)
to award any person who has attended any meeting of the Commissioners, including any interpreter appointed under section 9, such sums as in the opinion of the Commissioners may have been reasonably incurred by him by reason of such attendance.
Interpreters