12. (1) Every Malaysian ship unless so exempted shall be registered under this Ordinance.

(2) If a ship required by this Ordinance to be registered is not so registered, she shall not be recognised as a Malaysian ship.

(3) A ship required by this Ordinance to be registered may be detained until the master of the ship, if so required, produces the certificate of registry of the ship.

(b) any vessel licensed under section 475 (A603/84) of this Ordinance; and (A 603/84)

(c) any local fishing vessel not exceeding five hundred tons gross where such vessel is licensed under any written law relating to fisheries. (A603/84)

14. (1) For the purposes of this Part, the Minister may appoint a Registrar General of Ships and one or more registrar of Malaysian ships.

(2) The registrars shall perform their duties under the direction of the Registrar General.

(3) The Registrar General and every registrar shall be deemed to be public servants for the purpose of the Penal Code.

(b) subject to (d) not more than sixty-four individuals shall be entitled to be registered at any one time as owners of a ship, but this rule shall not affect the beneficial interest of any number of persons of any company represented by or claiming under or through any registered owner or joint owner;

(c) a person shall not be entitled to be registered as the owner of a fractional part of a share in a ship but any number of persons not exceeding five may be registered as joint owners of a ship or any share therein;

(d) joint owners shall be considered as constituting one person only as regards the person entitled to be registered, and shall not be entitled to dispose in severalty of any interest in a ship or in any share therein;