Arms Act 1960


Arms Act 1960 is the main legislation that governs the licensing, dealing, manufacturing and ownership of firearms and ammunition in Malaysia.

Legal provisions

Definitions

Under section 2 of the Act, the term "arm" is defined as any lethal barrel weapon that is capable of discharging any shot, bullet, missile, noxious liquid, gas or other things. This includes air gun, air pistol, automatic gun, pistol, or any components that form parts of the firearm, which also includes silencer and flash suppressor.
Meanwhile, the term "ammunition" is defined as ammunition or blank ammunition that can be used for any kind of firearms as described above, and includes any bomb, grenade, or other similar missile. Ammunition that contains noxious liquid, gas or other things also fell within the definition of ammunition.
Under the same section, "imitation arm" is also defined as anything that has the appearance or intended to give the impression of being a real firearm, whether such imitation firearm is capable of discharging anything or not. Airsoft gun and gel blaster fall under this definition, and unlicensed owners or dealers are often the target of police raid.

Licensing

Under section 3, no person can possess, carry or use any firearms or ammunition unless he has a valid license or permit issued by the Chief Police Officer of the state he resided in. In order to be granted firearms license or permit, applicant must shown he has a "very good reason" to own a firearm, and that the police is in the opinion that the granting of such license or permit would be "without danger to the public safety and the public interest". Additionally, one must be at least 18 years old in order to be qualified for a firearm license.
Firearms licenses are typically granted on the grounds of self defence, hunting and sport shooting. The license is only valid for one year and must be renewed annually.
Under section 5, automatic weapons of any kind; firearms and ammunition capable of discharging noxious liquid, gas or other things; and grenades, bombs, or similar devices are prohibited from being granted license, thereby rendering only single-shot and semi-automatic firearms licensable for civilian use in Malaysia.