Malaysia legislation
Section 3
Section 3
(a)
that a person has committed suicide;
(b)
that a person has been killed by another, or by an animal, or by machinery, or by an accident;
(c)
that a person has died under circumstances in which some other person may have committed an offence; or
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(d)
that a person has died or has disappeared in circumstances which raise a reasonable presumption that he has died, and the cause of such death or presumed death is not known, he shall immediately give information thereof to a Magistrate and shall himself immediately proceed, or shall direct some other police officer immediately to proceed, to the place where the body of such deceased person is, or, if the body has disappeared, to the place where the deceased person was last seen alive, and there shall make an investigation and draw up a report of the apparent cause of death, describing, if the body is available, such wounds, fractures, bruises and other marks as may be found thereon, and stating in what manner or by what weapon or instrument, if any, the same appear to have been inflicted, and, whether the body is available or not, giving an account of such objects and circumstances as in his opinion may relate to the cause of death or the person, if any, who caused the death:
Provided that—
(i)
if no police officer is available to make the investigation required by this subsection, the Magistrate may direct a fit and proper person (hereinafter referred to as an “authorized officer”)
to carry out such investigation and to draw up the report and forward it to the officer in charge of the police station; and
(ii)
if the Magistrate is satisfied that no useful purpose would be served by any person proceeding to the place where the body is or, if the body has disappeared, to the place where the body was last seen alive, he may, by order in writing under his hand, dispense with such requirement.
(2)
Any police or authorized officer making an investigation under this section may exercise all the powers granted to a police officer under the provisions of Chapter XIII of the Criminal Procedure
Code [Act 574].
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(3)
A report of such investigation shall be made and signed by the officer in charge of the police station and forwarded by him to the
Magistrate:
Provided that, if, as a result of the investigation, such officer drafts a charge under section 120 of the Criminal Procedure Code [Act 574] in respect of the death of such person, he shall forward the report to the Public Prosecutor and shall inform the Magistrate in writing of the commencement of such proceedings.
[Substituted by Ordinance 11 of 1956]
Duty of officer to arrange for post-mortem examination in certain cases