Good Samaritan law

First Aid & CPR Malaysia

The Good Samaritan: compassion and protection

Drawn from the Bible (Luke 10:25-37), the parable of the Good Samaritan tells of a traveller left for dead who is rescued by a stranger that tends to him and sees to his care. Beyond its religious context, it carries a universal message: the moral duty to help others in danger, through compassion and altruism.

Inspired by this principle, many so-called Good Samaritan laws have been enacted around the world to protect those who assist in good faith during an emergency from legal action. The exact scope of that protection, however, varies from one jurisdiction to another: here is what the law applicable to your region provides.

Statute citation

Governing act No Good Samaritan law is in force. Malaysia follows Commonwealth common-law principles. In late 2024 the Ministry of Health announced its intention to introduce a Good Samaritan Law to protect good-faith rescuers; as of now, that measure remains a proposal and has not been enacted.
Scope of protection No statutory protection. Under the prevailing common law there is no general duty to rescue a stranger in distress, but a first aider or first responder can in principle be sued for negligence if they worsen the victim's condition. Fear of legal or financial consequences is cited as a major barrier to intervention, which is what drives the proposed bill.
Duty to rescue No
AED liability protection No
No legal duty to rescue

Your protection under the law

Malaysia currently has no Good Samaritan law in force: the country follows Commonwealth common-law principles. Under those principles there is no general duty to rescue a stranger in distress, but a first aider can in theory be sued for negligence if they worsen the victim's condition. In late 2024 the Ministry of Health announced its intention to introduce a Good Samaritan Law to protect good-faith responders, but the measure remains a proposal and has not yet been enacted.

No duty to act, but every reason to

In Malaysia the law places no obligation on anyone to render aid: stepping in remains a personal choice, guided by solidarity rather than compulsion. It is precisely the fear of legal or financial consequences that is cited as a major barrier to intervention, and that has driven the bill announced by the authorities. Pending explicit statutory protection, the sensible rescuer acts in good faith and within the limits of their skills, which sharply reduces any risk of being held to account.

Why training matters

When the heart stops, survival is decided in minutes: without immediate resuscitation the odds fall by about 10% with every minute that passes. In Malaysia, whether in a Kuala Lumpur shopping mall or a more remote village, the ambulance often takes precious minutes to arrive, and it is the bystander on the scene who becomes the first link in the chain of survival. Training in CPR and first aid teaches you to recognise the signs, to compress effectively and to handle a defibrillator without panic. To get trained is to give yourself the power to act at the right moment, and to give someone a real chance to live.