Section 20
General duties of police officers
Every police officer shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as are by law imposed or conferred upon a police officer, and shall obey all lawful directions in respect of the execution of his office which he may from time to time receive from his superior officers in the Force.
(2)
Where any duty, power or discretion is imposed or conferred by or under this Act or any other law on a police officer of any specified rank or holding any specified office, such police officer shall, in the performance of such duty or the exercise of such power or discretion, be subject to the orders and directions of any police officer to whom he is directly subordinate, and any such last mentioned police officer, if the occasion arises and he deems it expedient so to do, shall himself perform any such duty or exercise any such power or discretion.
(3)
Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provisions or any other law, it shall be the duty of a police officer to carry out the purposes mentioned in subsection 3(3); and he may take such lawful measures and do such lawful acts as may be necessary in connection therewith, including―
20 Laws of Malaysia ACT 344
(a)
apprehending all persons whom he is by law authorized to apprehend;
(b)
processing security intelligence;
(c)
conducting prosecutions;
(d)
giving assistance in the carrying out of any law relating to revenue, excise, sanitation, quarantine, immigration and registration;
(e)
giving assistance in the preservation of order in the ports, harbours and airports of Malaysia, and in enforcing maritime and port regulations;
(f)
executing summonses, subpoenas, warrants, commitments and other process lawfully issued by any competent authority;
(g)
exhibiting information;
(h)
protecting unclaimed and lost property and finding the owners thereof;
(i)
seizing stray animals and placing them in a public pound;
(j)
giving assistance in the protection of life and property;
(k)
protecting public property from loss or injury;
(l)
attending the criminal courts and, if specially ordered, the civil courts, and keeping order therein; and
(m)
escorting and guarding prisoners and other persons in the custody of the police.
(4)
A police officer shall when performing the duties mentioned in paragraph (3)(m) be deemed to be a prison officer, and shall have all the powers, protection and privileges attaching to a prison officer.
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