Laws in Malaysia
How Malaysia is classified on 38 of the 48 laws this site maps, grouped by subject. Each links to the full answer and its source.
Body & Life
- Abortion
- Legal (limited) Abortion is permitted on limited grounds such as a risk to health.
- Suicide Laws
- Not a crime
- FGM Laws
- No specific ban There is no specific legal ban on FGM.
- Surrogacy
- Banned Surrogacy is currently prohibited by a fatwa issued by the National Council of Islamic Religious Affairs.
Money & Games
- Gambling Age
- 21+ Minimum age to gamble: 21.
- Cryptocurrency
- Legal Cryptocurrency is legal to own and trade.
Daily Life
- Public Smoking Bans
- Comprehensive ban Smoking is banned in 23 categories of public places, including all restaurants and workplaces.
- Driving Age
- 16–17 Minimum age to drive a car: 17.
- Homeschooling
- Legal Homeschooling is legal.
Animals & Environment
- Fur Farming
- Legal No ban on fur farming.
- Cosmetic Animal Testing
- No ban No ban on testing cosmetics on animals.
- Dog Meat
- Legal / not prohibited Dog meat consumption is explicitly stated to be not illegal in the country.
- Plastic Bag Bans
- Partial measures Plastic-bag bans or charges apply in some regions only.
Civic & Family
- Voting Age
- 18 The voting age is 18.
- Compulsory Voting
- Voluntary Voting is voluntary.
- Minimum Working Age
- Under 14 Minimum working age: 13.
Relationships & Sexuality
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Not recognized Same-sex unions have no legal recognition.
- Same-Sex Activity
- Illegal Same-sex sexual activity is a criminal offence.
- Age of Consent
- 16–17 The age of consent is 16.
- Sex Work
- Varies by region Prostitution is legal in most Malaysian states but illegal in Kelantan.
- Pornography
- Restricted Selling and distributing obscene materials is illegal, but private possession is not explicitly criminalized.
- Same-Sex Adoption
- Limited (step-child / single) Joint adoption is not open to same-sex couples; step-child or single-person adoption is.
- Incest Laws
- Criminal offense
- Marriage Age
- 18+ Minimum marriage age: 21.
Speech & Belief
- Blasphemy Laws
- Criminal offense Malaysia criminalizes blasphemy through the Penal Code and state Sharia courts.
- Holocaust Denial
- No specific law No specific law against Holocaust denial.
- Flag Desecration
- Criminal offense Disrespecting the national flag can be prosecuted under existing penal and sedition laws.
- Conversion Therapy
- No ban Conversion therapy is not banned and has been endorsed by the government.
Justice & Weapons
- Death Penalty
- Retained / in use Retained in law and used.
- Gun Laws
- Restrictive Malaysia operates a may-issue system for firearms and carrying, with personal protection accepted as a reason.
- School Corporal Punishment
- Legal Caning is legally permitted for boys in Malaysian schools, though illegal for girls.
- Military Conscription
- Selective / de jure only
- Jury Trials
- Not used Jury trials were abolished nationwide in 1995.
Substances
- Cannabis
- Illegal Cannabis is illegal for all purposes.
- Drinking Age
- 21+ Minimum age to buy alcohol: 21.
- Smoking Age
- 18 Minimum age to buy tobacco: 18.
- Salvia Divinorum
- Legal / unregulated Salvia divinorum is legal or unregulated.
- E-Cigarettes
- Regulated Nicotine e-cigarettes are restricted to licensed pharmacies and subject to federal regulations and taxes.
Nearby countries
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.