Limitation period
Updated 2026-09-29
The limitation period is the time limit set by law within which a legal claim must be filed in court. In Malaysia this comes mainly from the Limitation Act 1953, and once it expires, you generally lose the right to sue, even if your claim was otherwise valid.
When it matters
For most civil claims arising from fraud, such as a tort of deceit claim, the clock generally starts running from when the fraud happened or, in some cases, from when you reasonably discovered it. Waiting too long to explore a civil claim against a scammer can close off options that were otherwise available, so it is worth getting an early view of your timeline even if you are not ready to file yet.
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