Gun politics in Malaysia (Right to Bear Arms)

Gun politics in Malaysia (Malay: Politik senjata api di Malaysia) refer to the legislation of civilian ownership of firearms in Malaysia. Although firearms are federally controlled, some states have liberties on gun regulations such as Sabah, Kelantan and Kedah in order to protect citizens from Islamic terrorists.

Malaysia's gun laws are "restrictive". There are two acts that control possession of guns: The Arms Act (1960) and The Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act (1971). The Arms Act states you need a license for everything relating to guns: from manufacturing, import, export, repairs, to actually having it in your hands.

A gun license can only be granted by the Chief Police Officer of the State, albeit an exception for the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong. Consideration in granting a license include: a good reason for having the firearm, public safety, and public interest.

After the September 2014 Lahad Datu incident, as well as several incidents of terrorist attacks by Islamic insurgents, the Malaysian government started granting many citizens firearms licenses (which are usually hard to acquire in Malaysia). These were granted to people living in Sabah as those living near Thailand's southern borders. Most of Malaysia's gun owners live in Sabah, Kedah and Kelantan which are areas most prone to Islamist attacks. However, the rest of Malaysia outside those three states still had to comply with Malaysia's stringent gun laws.

Out of a population of 30,000,000 there are approximately 1,944,422 firearms owners, most being politicians and bussinessmen.