By Muhammad Faiz bin Hasan, Advocate & Solicitor
Short answer: if someone in Malaysia refuses to pay back money they owe you, gather your proof of the debt, send a formal letter of demand, and if payment still does not come, sue in the right court: the small claims procedure for individual claims up to RM5,000, the Magistrates' Court up to RM100,000, the Sessions Court up to RM1 million, and the High Court above that. After judgment, the debt is enforced by seizing assets, garnishing bank accounts, a judgment debtor summons, bankruptcy (for individual debts of at least RM100,000) or winding up (for company debts exceeding RM50,000). A claim on a debt must generally be filed within six years.
Step 1: Gather proof of the debt
The court decides on evidence. Useful documents include the loan agreement or invoice, bank transfer records, delivery orders, statements of account, WhatsApp or email messages in which the debtor admits the debt, and any cheque that was dishonoured. A written acknowledgment or part payment by the debtor is especially valuable, because under section 26(2) of the Limitation Act 1953 it can restart the limitation period.
Step 2: Send a letter of demand
A letter of demand sets out the amount owed, its basis and a deadline to pay, and warns that legal action will follow. Many debts are paid at this stage. It also shows the court that the debtor was given a fair chance to pay before being sued.
Step 3: Choose the right forum
| Amount claimed | Forum |
|---|---|
| Up to RM5,000 (individual claimant) | Small claims procedure, Magistrates' Court, Order 93 Rules of Court 2012. Lawyers may not appear for the parties at the hearing. |
| Up to RM100,000 | Magistrates' Court (section 90, Subordinate Courts Act 1948) |
| Up to RM1,000,000 | Sessions Court (section 65, Subordinate Courts Act 1948) |
| Above RM1,000,000 | High Court |
Step 4: Obtain judgment
- Default judgment if the debtor fails to enter appearance (Order 13) or to file a defence (Order 19).
- Summary judgment under Order 14 if the debtor has no genuine defence. This avoids a full trial and is common in clear debt cases.
- Trial if there is a real dispute of fact.
Unless the court orders otherwise, a judgment debt carries interest at 5% per annum from the date of judgment until payment under Order 42 rule 12.
Step 5: Enforce the judgment
A judgment is only useful if it is paid. If the debtor still does not pay, the main enforcement tools are:
- Writ of seizure and sale (Order 47), to seize and auction the debtor's movable property.
- Garnishee proceedings (Order 49), to recover money held by a third party for the debtor, such as a bank account.
- Judgment debtor summons (Order 48), requiring the debtor to come to court and be examined on his means, with an order for payment by instalments.
- Bankruptcy against an individual under the Insolvency Act 1967, where the debt is at least RM100,000 (section 5(1)(a), as amended with effect from 1 September 2021).
- Winding up of a company under section 466(1)(a) of the Companies Act 2016, where the debt exceeds RM50,000 and a statutory demand remains unpaid for 21 days.
Time limit
A claim founded on contract, including a loan or unpaid invoice, must be brought within six years from the date the cause of action accrued, under section 6(1)(a) of the Limitation Act 1953. Do not wait until the last year: tracing the debtor and serving court papers can take time.
Lending money to friends or family
Personal "friendly loans" raise particular issues, including whether the lender may be presumed to be carrying on a moneylending business. Read our article on friendly loans (in Malay) before you lend or sue.
Further reading in Malay: Cara Tuntut Hutang Yang Tak Dibayar di Malaysia and the difference between small claims and a civil suit. For help recovering a debt, you may contact our office or read about our debt recovery, bankruptcy and winding up practice. FAAIZ Law acts for individuals and businesses across Malaysia.
This article is general information on Malaysian law and is not legal advice on any particular case.
oleh Muhammad Faiz bin Hasan, Peguambela & Peguamcara
Jawapan ringkas: jika seseorang di Malaysia enggan membayar balik wang yang dipinjam atau terhutang kepada anda, kumpul bukti hutang, hantar surat tuntutan rasmi, dan jika bayaran masih tidak dibuat, failkan tindakan di mahkamah yang betul: prosedur tuntutan kecil bagi tuntutan individu sehingga RM5,000, Mahkamah Majistret sehingga RM100,000, Mahkamah Sesyen sehingga RM1 juta, dan Mahkamah Tinggi bagi jumlah melebihi itu. Selepas penghakiman, hutang dikuatkuasakan melalui penyitaan aset, prosiding garnisi akaun bank, saman penghutang penghakiman, kebankrapan (bagi hutang individu sekurang-kurangnya RM100,000) atau penggulungan (bagi hutang syarikat melebihi RM50,000). Tuntutan hutang secara amnya mesti difailkan dalam tempoh enam tahun.
Langkah 1: Kumpul bukti hutang
Mahkamah membuat keputusan berdasarkan keterangan. Dokumen yang berguna termasuk perjanjian pinjaman atau invois, rekod pindahan bank, pesanan penghantaran, penyata akaun, mesej WhatsApp atau e-mel di mana penghutang mengakui hutang, dan sebarang cek yang tidak dilayan. Pengakuan bertulis atau bayaran sebahagian oleh penghutang amat bernilai kerana di bawah seksyen 26(2) Akta Had Masa 1953, ia boleh memulakan semula tempoh had masa.
Langkah 2: Hantar surat tuntutan
Surat tuntutan menyatakan jumlah yang terhutang, asas tuntutan dan tarikh akhir untuk membayar, serta memberi amaran bahawa tindakan undang-undang akan diambil. Banyak hutang dibayar pada peringkat ini. Surat tuntutan juga menunjukkan kepada mahkamah bahawa penghutang telah diberi peluang yang adil untuk membayar sebelum disaman.
Langkah 3: Pilih forum yang betul
| Jumlah tuntutan | Forum |
|---|---|
| Sehingga RM5,000 (penuntut individu) | Prosedur tuntutan kecil, Mahkamah Majistret, Aturan 93 Kaedah-Kaedah Mahkamah 2012. Peguam tidak dibenarkan mewakili pihak-pihak semasa pendengaran. |
| Sehingga RM100,000 | Mahkamah Majistret (seksyen 90, Akta Mahkamah Rendah 1948) |
| Sehingga RM1,000,000 | Mahkamah Sesyen (seksyen 65, Akta Mahkamah Rendah 1948) |
| Melebihi RM1,000,000 | Mahkamah Tinggi |
Langkah 4: Dapatkan penghakiman
- Penghakiman ingkar jika penghutang gagal memasukkan kehadiran (Aturan 13) atau gagal memfailkan pembelaan (Aturan 19).
- Penghakiman terus di bawah Aturan 14 jika penghutang tiada pembelaan yang bona fide (sebenar dan jujur). Ini mengelakkan perbicaraan penuh dan lazim digunakan dalam kes hutang yang jelas.
- Perbicaraan jika terdapat pertikaian fakta yang sebenar.
Melainkan mahkamah memerintahkan sebaliknya, hutang penghakiman dikenakan faedah sebanyak 5% setahun dari tarikh penghakiman sehingga dibayar di bawah Aturan 42 kaedah 12.
Langkah 5: Kuatkuasakan penghakiman
Penghakiman hanya bermakna jika ia dibayar. Jika penghutang masih tidak membayar, kaedah penguatkuasaan utama ialah:
- Writ penyitaan dan penjualan (Aturan 47), untuk menyita dan melelong harta alih penghutang.
- Prosiding garnisi (Aturan 49), untuk mendapatkan wang penghutang yang dipegang oleh pihak ketiga, seperti akaun bank.
- Saman penghutang penghakiman (Aturan 48), yang mewajibkan penghutang hadir ke mahkamah untuk diperiksa tentang kemampuannya, dengan perintah bayaran secara ansuran.
- Kebankrapan terhadap individu di bawah Akta Insolvensi 1967, jika hutang sekurang-kurangnya RM100,000 (seksyen 5(1)(a), sebagaimana dipinda berkuat kuasa 1 September 2021).
- Penggulungan syarikat di bawah seksyen 466(1)(a) Akta Syarikat 2016, jika hutang melebihi RM50,000 dan notis tuntutan berkanun tidak dibayar dalam tempoh 21 hari.
Had masa
Tuntutan berasaskan kontrak, termasuk pinjaman atau invois yang tidak dibayar, mesti dibawa dalam tempoh enam tahun dari tarikh kausa tindakan terakru, di bawah seksyen 6(1)(a) Akta Had Masa 1953. Jangan tunggu sehingga tahun terakhir kerana mengesan penghutang dan menyampaikan kertas kausa boleh mengambil masa.
Meminjamkan wang kepada kawan atau keluarga
Pinjaman persahabatan (friendly loan) menimbulkan isu khusus, termasuk sama ada pemberi pinjam boleh dianggap menjalankan perniagaan pemberian pinjaman wang. Baca artikel kami tentang pinjaman persahabatan sebelum anda memberi pinjaman atau menyaman.
Baca juga: Cara Tuntut Hutang Yang Tak Dibayar di Malaysia dan beza tuntutan kecil dan guaman sivil. Jika anda memerlukan bantuan menuntut hutang, anda boleh menghubungi pejabat kami atau membaca tentang amalan tuntutan hutang, kebankrapan dan penggulungan kami. FAAIZ Law bertindak bagi individu dan perniagaan di seluruh Malaysia.
Artikel ini ialah maklumat am tentang undang-undang Malaysia dan bukan nasihat undang-undang bagi mana-mana kes tertentu.
