Abstract
Personal representative connotes a person authorised under the law to manage the estate of the deceased person. The personal representative is responsible to gather all the assets belonging to the deceased and distribute the assets to the beneficiaries legally. The process of inheritance management in Malaysia requires a formal application to be made to the administrative bodies for the appointment of a personal representative, either as an executor or administrator. However, instances of misappropriation of the deceased’s estate by personal representatives have raised serious concerns, affecting the proper administration of estates and the rights of beneficiaries This study emphasises on the highlighted issue based on their frequency of recurrence, which calls for prompt attention and resolution from the socio-legal perspective. The research method adopted under this study involves library-based research, which focuses on a review of legal texts, case law, academic journals, and statutory provisions including but not limited to the Distribution Act 1958, Federal Constitution and Small Estate (Distribution) Act 1955. The study found that having comprehensive knowledge of the rights and duties of personal representatives is paramount in ensuring the completion of inheritance management. This is coupled with the elements of trust and honesty expected to be exercised by the personal representative to ensure smoothness and consistency in inheritance management.
Bahasa Abstract
Perwakilan pribadi merujuk kepada seseorang yang diberi kuasa berdasarkan hukum untuk mengelola harta warisan dari orang yang telah meninggal dunia. Perwakilan pribadi bertanggung jawab untuk mengumpulkan semua aset milik almarhum dan mendistribusikan aset tersebut kepada ahli waris secara sah. Proses pengelolaan warisan Islam di Malaysia memerlukan pengajuan permohonan resmi kepada badan administratif untuk penunjukan seseorang, baik sebagai pelaksana wasiat maupun administrator. Kasus-kasus yang berkaitan dengan penyalahgunaan harta warisan oleh perwakilan pribadi cenderung berdampak negatif terhadap pengelolaan warisan dan hak-hak ahli waris atas harta tersebut. Penelitian ini menekankan isu yang diangkat berdasarkan frekuensi terjadinya, yang memerlukan perhatian dan penyelesaian yang cepat. Metode penelitian yang digunakan dalam studi ini adalah penelitian berbasis perpustakaan, yang berfokus pada tinjauan komprehensif terhadap teks-teks hukum, yurisprudensi, jurnal akademik, dan ketentuan-ketentuan hukum, termasuk namun tidak terbatas pada Undang-Undang Pembagian 1958, Undang-Undang Dasar Federal, dan Undang-Undang Warisan Kecil (Pembagian) 1955. Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa memiliki pengetahuan yang komprehensif tentang hak dan kewajiban perwakilan pribadi sangat penting untuk memastikan kelancaran pengelolaan warisan. Hal ini disertai dengan elemen kepercayaan dan kejujuran yang diharapkan untuk diterapkan oleh perwakilan pribadi guna memastikan kelancaran dan konsistensi dalam pengelolaan warisan Islam.
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Erratum
June 8, 2025: The Acknowledgement section previously placed as a Cover Page Footnote, moved to the Chapter V.
Recommended Citation
Drs Nasrul, Muhammad Amrullah; Zairin Zain, Anis A'fifah; and Wan Mohd Salim, Wan Noraini
(2025)
"Examining the Legal Responsibilities and Key Challenges of Personal Representatives in Malaysian Inheritance Management,"
The Indonesian Journal of Socio-Legal Studies: Vol. 4:
No.
2, Article 1.
DOI: 10.54828/ijsls.2025v4n2.1
Available at:
https://scholarhub.ui.ac.id/ijsls/vol4/iss2/1
