Public Authorities Protection Act 1948

The Public Authorities Protection Act 1948 is the Malaysian statute that sets a shorter deadline for suing the government or a public authority for an act or default in carrying out a public duty.

Where a road accident involves a vehicle belonging to a government body, such as a police, army or council vehicle, a claim generally must be brought within thirty-six months, a stricter deadline than the usual six-year period.^[1] This is explained in claiming against a government vehicle.

Because courts have treated this shorter deadline as strict, it is worth acting early whenever a government vehicle is involved.

Identifying early whether a government body owns the other vehicle, for example through its registration or an official livery, can save valuable time.