The law you need to refer to is CORROSIVE AND EXPLOSIVE SUBSTANCES AND OFFENSIVE WEAPONS ACT 1958
Details here:
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Punishment under SECTION 6 (1):
- Maximum two year jail term and whipping.
My interpretation:
1. The law does not describe how "long" the knife has to be to be considered a dangerous weapon.
2. The law clearly stipulates that balisongs/switchblades (both understood by the law as flick knife) and the gravity knives are illegal.
3. The law clearly stipulates that anything designed to stab or pierce flesh is illegal.
4. Swords of all type are strictly forbidden.
5. Swords or other forbidden items are only legal if they are where they are designed to be - e.g. Sword at a Martial Arts Dojo, Parang at a garden shed instead of your car etc
Conclusion:
1. Penknives/pocketknives, by nature of being small and designed for non-lethal use, are not illegal.
2. Multi-tools are designed to be *multi-tools* and thus the knife was not designed for lethal use.
3. Single-hand operated folding knives are subjective.
- If I were to carry one, I would choose a model that is not designed for stabbing (single-sided blade, includes serrated blade. See sample here.)
- Probably not recommended for our ambigous laws.
4. Cops have the discretion to decide whether your penknife etc is forbidden under this law.
5. Even a baton/T-baton/cota can be considered a weapon.
Additional notes:
1. No. I can't import the sword I wanted.
2. I carry a Leatherman Style CS on my keychain*.
3. I equip a small letter opener in the car for practical reasons.
4. I have two SAKs which I keep at home for home use and they have travelled with me overseas (check-in lugguage).
Hope this helps and I look foward to hearing feedback.
*My keychain is my primary self-defence weapon and I hold it whenever I'm in dodgy places.
This post has been edited by trent666: May 22 2012, 07:02 PM