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Table of Contents
Country Reports
Malaysia, Landmine Monitor Report 2004

Malaysia

Key developments since 1999: Malaysia ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 22 April 1999 and the treaty entered into force on 1 October 1999. Malaysia’s domestic mine ban legislation, the Anti-Personnel Mines Convention Implementation Act (Act 603), took effect on 25 June 2000. Malaysia destroyed its stockpile of 94,721 antipersonnel mines from 15-23 January 2001, and has chosen not to retain any mines for training purposes. Malaysia has been very active in promoting universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty, especially in Southeast Asia. It served as co-rapporteur and then co-chair of the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction from May 1999 to September 2001. Malaysia hosted a regional seminar on stockpile destruction in August 2001. In 2004, Malaysia is serving as one of the “Friends of the President” for the President-designate of the First Review Conference. The Malaysian Armed Forces have conducted a number of surveys since 2001 and found no mines in formerly affected areas on the Thai border.

Mine Ban Policy

Malaysia signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997, ratified on 22 April 1999 and the treaty entered the treaty into force on 1 October 1999. Domestic legislation, the Anti-Personnel Mines Convention Implementation Act (Act 603), took effect on 25 June 2000.[1]

In a December 1994 UN General Assembly speech, Malaysia became one of the first nations in the world to call for an immediate ban on antipersonnel mines. Malaysia has voted in favor of every pro-ban UN General Assembly resolution since 1996, including UNGA Resolution 58/53 on 8 December 2003.

Malaysia actively participated in the Ottawa Process. Over the past five years Malaysia has continued to be active in promoting universalization of the treaty and its effective implementation.[2] Malaysia has repeatedly approached non-States Parties in Southeast Asia, in particular Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia, to urge them to accede to the Mine Ban Treaty. Malaysia has attended all the annual meetings of States Parties since 1999, including the Fifth Meeting of States Parties in September 2003, and all the intersessional meetings. It served as co-rapporteur of the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction from May 1999 to September 2000, then as co-chair until September 2001. Malaysia hosted a regional seminar on stockpile destruction in August 2001 where it called on non-States Parties to engage in stockpile destruction before acceding to the Mine Ban Treaty.

In 2004, Malaysia is serving as one of the “Friends of the President” for Austrian Ambassador Wolfgang Petritsch, President-designate of the First Review Conference; this group of States Parties is assisting with preparation of the substantive documents for the Review Conference. Together with Germany, Malaysia prepared a discussion paper, entitled “Nature, Timing and Sequencing of Post-2004 Meetings of the States Parties and Related Matters,” for the preparatory meeting in June 2004.[3]

Malaysia submitted its annual Article 7 transparency report on 15 March 2004 for calendar year 2003. Malaysia has provided four previous reports.[4]

Joint Military Operations and Transit

The Anti-Personnel Mines Convention Implementation Act 2000, in its provision on exceptions, permits Malaysian Armed Forces to participate “in operations, exercises or other military activities with the armed forces of a country that is not a party to the Convention that engage in an activity prohibited under section 3, if that participation does not amount to active assistance or involvement in that prohibited activity.”[5] In 2002, a Ministry of Defense official told Landmine Monitor, “Malaysia Armed Forces may participate in joint operations with armed forces of non-signatory states, but will not participate in joint operations that involve the use of APM.”[6]

Malaysia maintains a firm stance on the prohibition of transit of antipersonnel mines through Malaysian territory.[7]

Production, Transfer, Use and Stockpile Destruction

Malaysia has never produced or exported antipersonnel mines. It imported all its antipersonnel mines from the former Yugoslavia. It has not used mines since the peace accord with the Communist Party of Malaysia in 1989.

Malaysia destroyed its stockpile of 94,721 antipersonnel mines from 15-23 January 2001.[8] This was far in advance of its October 2003 treaty deadline. Representatives from Malaysian NGOs and ASEAN landmine campaigns were invited to observe it. The destruction cost approximately RM 6.9 million (about US$1.89 million).[9]

Malaysia has chosen not to retain any antipersonnel mines for training or development purposes. The Malaysian Armed Forces uses inert practice antipersonnel mines.[10] Malaysia still stockpiles Claymore-type mines. The Defense Ministry and Armed Forces have stated that the Claymore mines currently in their inventory were acquired from a South Korean manufacturer in command-detonated mode and need no further modification to be legal under the Convention.[11] Malaysia does not report voluntarily under Article 7 on the Claymores because it does not consider them antipersonnel mines.[12]

In 2001, Malaysia started a Defense Cooperation Program which includes a component to help train developing countries in demining and mine destruction.[13]

Mine Action

Malaysia is no longer a mine-affected country. Following the political settlement between the government and the communist insurgency in the northern border area with Thailand, mine clearance operations were conducted from 1990 to 1991.[14] A special government commission visited sites on the Malaysian-Thai border in October 2000 to confirm that no mines remained planted from the insurgency.[15] The Malaysian Armed Forces have conducted a number of surveys since 2001 and no active mines have been found in the formerly affected areas.[16]

In March 2001, the Malaysian Army Field Engineering Institute established a Mine Awareness Center to teach Malaysian soldiers and peacekeepers of other nationalities about the Mine Ban Treaty and Malaysia’s implementation legislation.[17] In the past, Malaysian peacekeeping forces undertook mine clearance operations in Cambodia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Malaysia has not made any financial contributions to international mine action programs.

Landmine Casualties and Survivor Assistance

The last reported mine casualty inside Malaysia was a soldier on patrol in 1993.[18] During the peacekeeping operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992, an officer died in an antipersonnel landmine incident.[19] The government maintains that during the communist insurgency, there were less than 100 casualties due to booby-traps, and none to landmines; all casualties were military personnel.[20]

Military personnel, when seriously injured in military operations including mine clearance, receive free medical care and other assistance, which includes prosthetic services, financial aid from the Warrior’s Fund, special pension schemes for disabled veterans, vocational training, and scholarships for the education of their children.[21]


[1] The full name of the legislation is “An Act to implement the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction; and for other matters connected therewith.” Under section 20, the penalty for violation shall be a fine not exceeding 20,000 Ringgit (approximately $5,263), or imprisonment not exceeding five years, or both. See Article 7 Report, Form A, 15 March 2004. The Minister of Defense is the focal point for implementation of the legislation and is authorized to make regulations. Before royal assent was given to Act 603, the Malaysian Armed Forces headquarters issued instructions on implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty to all services under its supervision.
[2] See previous editions of Landmine Monitor Report. In one notable example, at the XIII Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) meeting, held on 25-27 February 2003 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia successfully led an effort to include language “deploring” antipersonnel mine use in the final declaration, and, for the first time, NAM States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty invited those states that have not yet done so to join the treaty.
[3] The paper proposed various schemes for the scheduling of intersessional meetings and the annual Meeting of State Parties after 2004, as well as a proposed Second Review Conference in 2009. See http://www.reviewconference.org/1st_prep_summary.htm
[4] Previous Article 7 reports were submitted on: 17 June 2003 (for calendar year 2002) [note: the report itself is dated 28 May 2003, but the UN lists 17 June as date received]; 26 August 2002 (for calendar year 2000); 9 May 2002 (for calendar year 2001) [note: this updated a report for 2001 initially submitted on 27 February 2002] and 1 March 2000 (for the period 1 October 1999 – 1 March 2000).
[5] Act 603, Article 4 (d).
[6] Email from Cdr. Muhamad Ridzwan Abd. Rahman, Principal Assistant Secretary, Policy Division, Ministry of Defense, 9 May 2002.
[7] Meeting with Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials, Kuala Lumpur, 10 February 2003.
[8] The stockpile included 44,993 PMA-3, 37,738 PMA-2 and 11,990 PROM-1 antipersonnel mines from the former Yugoslavia. Article 7 Report, Form B, 15 March 2004.
[9] Lt. Col. Baharudin Bin Jamin, Chief Ammunition Technical Officer, 40 Headquarters Ammunition Organization, “Brief for Army Field Commander on the Disposal of Anti-Personnel Landmines (APL) at Asahan Range on 23 January 2001,” Asahan Range, 23 January 2001.
[10] Article 7 Report, Form D, 15 March 2004.
[11] Hanwha Corporation of South Korea did not provide tripwires. Letter from Col. Razali bin Hj Ahmad, Principal Assistant Secretary, Policy Division, Ministry of Defense, 24 March 2003. Malaysia has also reported importing Claymore mines from the US and UK in the past. Landmine Monitor Report 1999, interview with Cdr. Razali and Major Mustaffa, 8 February 1999, p. 415. Also, Malaysia Article 7 report, 1 March 2000.
[12] Meeting with Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials, 10 February 2003.
[13] See Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 340.
[14] The clearance operations involved the Malaysian and Thai governments as well as the Communist Party of Malaya. Approximately 15,000 antipersonnel mines were destroyed in the border states of Kedah, Perak and Kelantan. See Landmine Monitor Report 2003, p. 329.
[15] Thai Campaign to Ban Landmines Press Release, “Malaysia Mine Free,” 24 January 2001. See also Statement by Amb. Hamidon Ali to the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, Geneva, 11-15 September 2000.
[16] Article 7 Report, Form I, 15 March 2004.
[17] Letter from Col. Razali bin Hj Ahmad, Ministry of Defense, 24 March 2003.
[18] A soldier on patrol in the state of Kedah was injured by a mine that the joint clearing operations had failed to retrieve. Interview with Major Abdullah Mustafa, Ministry of Defense, 9 February 1999.
[19] Email from Cdr. Muhamad Ridzwan Abd. Rahman, Ministry of Defense, 9 May 2002.
[20] Ibid and 16 July 2002.
[21] Email from Cdr. Muhamad Ridzwan Abd. Rahman, Ministry of Defense, 9 May 2002.