ACT 562
DIGITAL SIGNATURE ACT 1997

PART I - PRELIMINARY



Section 2. Interpretation.


(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires-

"accept a certificate" means-

"asymmetric cryptosystem" means an algorithm or series of algorithms which provide a secure key pair;

"authorized officer" means an officer authorized under section 75;

"certificate" means a computer-based record which -

"certification authority" means a person who issues a certificate;

"certification authority disclosure record" means an on-line and publicly accessible record which concerns a licensed certification authority which is kept by the Commission under subsection 3(5);

[Am. Act A1121:s.2]

"certification practice statement" means a declaration of the practices which a certification authority employs in issuing certificates generally, or employed in issuing a particular certificate;

"certify" means to declare with reference to a certificate, with ample opportunity to reflect, and with a duty to apprise oneself of all material facts;

"Commission" means the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission established under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission Act 1998 [Act 589];

[Ins. Act A1121:s.3]

"confirm" means to ascertain through diligent inquiry and investigation;

"Controller" [Deleted by Act A1121:s.3]

"correspond", with reference to keys, means to belong to the same key pair;

"digital signature" means a transformation of a message using an asymmetric cryptosystem such that a person having the initial message and the signer's public key can accurately determine-

"forge a digital signature" means-


"hold a private key" means to be able to utilize a private key;

"incorporate by reference" means to make one message a part of another message by identifying the message to be incorporated and expressing the intention that it be incorporated;

"issue a certificate" means the act of a certification authority in creating a certificate and notifying the subscriber listed in the certificate of the contents of the certificate;

"key pair" means a private key and its corresponding public key in an asymmetric cryptosystem, where the public key can verify a digital signature that the private key creates;

"licensed certification authority" means a certification authority to whom a licence has been issued by the Commission and whose licence is in effect;

[Am.Act A1121:s.2]

"message" means a digital representation of information;

"notify" means to communicate a fact to another person in a manner reasonably likely under the circumstances to impart knowledge of the information to the other person;

"person" means a natural person or a body of persons, corporate or unincorporate, capable of signing a document, either legally or as a matter of fact;

"prescribed" means prescribed by or under this Act or any regulations made under this Act;

"private key" means the key of a key pair used to create a digital signature;

"public key" means the key of a key pair used to verify a digital signature;

"publish" means to record or file in a repository;

"qualified certification authority" means a certification authority that satisfies the requirements under section 5;

"recipient" means a person who receives or has a digital signature and is in a position to rely on it;

"recognized date/time stamp service" means a date/time stamp service recognized by the Commission under section 70;

[Am. Act A1121:s.2]

"recognized repository" means a repository recognized by the Commission under section 68;

[Am. Act A1121:s.2]

"recommended reliance limit" means the monetary amount recommended for reliance on a certificate under section 60;

"repository" means a system for storing and retrieving certificates and other information relevant to digital signatures;

"revoke a certificate" means to make a certificate ineffective permanently from a specified time forward;

"rightfully hold a private key" means to be able to utilize a private key-

"subscriber" means a person who-

"suspend a certificate" means to make a certificate ineffective temporarily for a specified time forward;

"this Act" includes any regulations made under this Act;

"time-stamp" means-

"transactional certificate" means a certificate, incorporating by reference one or more digital signatures, issued and valid for a specific transaction;

"trustworthy system" means computer hardware and software which-

"valid certificate" means a certificate which-

Provided that a transactional certificate is a valid certificate only in relation to the digital signature incorporated in it by reference;

"verify a digital signature" means, in relation to a given digital signature, message and public key, to determine accurately that-

"writing" or "written" includes any handwriting, typewriting, printing, electronic storage or transmission, or any other method of recording information or fixing information in a form capable of being preserved.

(2) For the purposes of this Act, a certificate shall be revoked by making a notation to that effect on the certificate or by including the certificate in a set of revoked certificates.

(3) The revocation of a certificate does not mean that it is destroyed or made illegible.