How to read legal citations in Malaysia

Malaysian law is English-based common law with a written federal constitution and Islamic law for Muslims in family matters. A case is cited to a private law report, either the Malayan Law Journal (MLJ) or the Current Law Journal (CLJ).

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Style guide: Malaysian court practice (MLJ and CLJ). Malaysia has no single mandatory style guide. Courts and lawyers follow the form of the two main private report series, the Malayan Law Journal and the Current Law Journal.

Real citations, decoded

Click or hover over any underlined piece to see what it means.

A Federal Court case Case

Case name Sivarasa Rasiah v Badan Peguam Malaysia
The parties. 'Badan Peguam Malaysia' is the Malaysian Bar.
Year [2010]
In square brackets because the volumes are arranged by year.
Volume 2
Volume 2 of that year.
Report series MLJ
Malayan Law Journal, one of the two main series.
First page 333
The page where the report begins.

The same case is also reported as [2010] 3 CLJ 507.

The Constitution Constitution

Instrument Federal Constitution
Malaysia's constitution, in force since 1957.
Article art 10(1)(a)
Article 10(1)(a) guarantees freedom of speech and expression. Article 10(1)(c) is freedom of association.

Things to remember

Malaysian courts cite English and Commonwealth cases freely. The report series is named so a reader knows which country the case is from.
The courts, from the top, are the Federal Court (the highest), the Court of Appeal and the High Courts. There is a separate system of Syariah courts for Muslims on family and some religious matters.
Statutes are cited as 'Act' with a number, for example Contracts Act 1950 (Act 136).
Malaysia is a federation, and the states have their own laws on some matters.

Where to find the text, free

To understand how courts and law fit together in Malaysia, read the Malaysia profile in the Legal Families Atlas.

TheLawToKnow Tools’s citation guide is an educational overview of standard conventions. Courts and journals sometimes vary, so check the style guide before submitting or publishing. It is not legal advice. Report a mistake.