Malaysia
The armed conflict that took place in former British Malaya from 1948 to 1960 left the country with surplus ammunition and mines that the Malaysian government is has been addressing since. Because of the explosive remnants of war, parts of the territory remain dangerous zones that require clearance work. In addition, stockpile management is required to contribute to the demilitarisation and to prevent diversion of weapons and ammunition.1
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) and Nonviolence International are present in the country to help with the through-life management of ammunition by working with the Malaysian government. Efforts have mainly focused on Physical Security and Stockpile Management (PSSM), seminars and training sessions with Malaysian military and police forces on the safe and secure management of ammunition, and identifying gaps in national ammunition diversion strategies.2
1“A Short Guide To The Malayan Emergency.” Imperial War Museums. Accessed June 5, 2022. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/a-short-guide-to-the-malayan-emergency.
2See AMAP Dataset.
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Further information
Accidental explosions
Since the beginning of data collection in 1979 by the Small Arms Survey, only one accidental explosion was reported in Malaysia.
Table. 1 Accidental explosions in Malaysia (1979-2021)
| Year | Location | Owner/manager | Deaths | Injuries |
| 1998 | N/A | State (miltary) | N/A | N/A |
Source: Small Arms Survey. n.d. Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Sites (UEMS). Database.
Cases of diversion
Only one case of diversion has been reported since 2000 in Malaysia.
Table 2: Cases of diversion of arms, ammunition, and explosives in Malaysia since 2000
| Year | Location | Description |
| 2000 | Kuala | A group of men posing as high-ranking military officers raided two military arms depots and seized more than 80 M-16 rifles, two Steyr assault rifles, five grenade launchers, four heavy machine guns, six light machine guns, more than 4,000 rounds of ammunition and 60 40mm mortar shells |
Source: Fuller, Thomas. “Malaysia Armory Thieves Surrounded.” The New York Times, July 5, 2000. https://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/05/news/malaysia-armory-thieves-surrounded.html.
Disposal
Insufficient information on the disposal of ammunition in Malaysia.
Needs
To further enhance safe and secure ammunition management, the following need has been identified for Malaysia:
- Development or refinement of standards and procedures on stockpile management
Source: PoA Report 2020, Malaysia. Please note that PoA reports focus on SALW and not specifically on ammunition. https://unoda-poa.s3.amazonaws.com/reports/MYS-English-977-SUBMITTED.pdf
