2. Application
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The Act does not apply to the estate of a person who professes the Muslim religion. It does not affect rules of Muslim law, as varied by local custom, on sharing out such an estate. The Act also does not apply to an estate whose distribution is governed by the Parsee Intestate Succession Ordinance of the Straits Settlements.
Summary · Drafted with AI, checked against the official text on 30 Sep 2026.
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.