[1][2] During British colonial rule and the Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945, penal institutions were the responsibility of the individual states' governments with their respective regulations.

The Straits Settlements were the earliest to build their own prisons while the Federated Malay States did so only after the British set up a responsible department.

Prisons were built with the main purpose of bringing suffering to the inmates in the hope that it would deter people from committing crimes.

In 1953, the Criminal Justice Bill was passed, abolishing the use of the cat o' nine tails for corporal punishment and replacing the term "penal servitude" with "prison".

The previous acts and regulations had been in use for a long time, thus changes and reforms were necessary to meet current needs and demands to streamline prison management and administration.

Kedah Penang Perak Selangor Negeri Sembilan Melaka Johor Pahang Terengganu Kelantan Sarawak Sabah Malaysian Prison Department operators are equipped with multi-specialized weaponry and marine assault vehicles, including: