Malaysia Moves To Abolish Mandatory Death Penalty

Malaysia’s government on Friday has confirmed that it will put an end to the mandatory death penalty, which is currently used in several crimes including murder and “terrorism”, and leaves it to judges to decide the appropriate punishment.

Malaysia is one of the few countries in the world that still has the mandatory death penalty for certain crimes.

Law Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said in a statement that after reviewing the findings of an expert report on proposed options, the government will now consider proposed alternative sentences for 11 offenses that carry the mandatory death penalty. It will also consider the use of capital punishment in 22 other offenses.

“This reflects the government’s emphasis on ensuring the rights of all parties are protected and guaranteed,” Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said.

Malaysia took its first steps toward abolishing the death penalty in October 2018 during the short-lived Pakatan Harapan government, and currently has a moratorium on executions.

According to local media reports, more than 1,300 people are on death row, most of whom have been convicted of drug offences. UN experts have said countries retaining the death penalty should only use it for the “most serious offences”.

The Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN) said in a statement that it welcomes the move towards eliminating compulsory punishment, which it said “does not provide justice as it allows judges to determine the status of each individual offender”. deprives the discretion of punishment on grounds of

It also called for reforms in the criminal justice system, including redefining drug cases to differentiate between drug mules and actual traffickers.

Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar’s statement did not say whether the government expected to conclude its review of alternative sentences or indicate what the changes could be.

“Before everyone starts cheering, we need Malaysia to pass substantive legislative amendments to put this pledge into effect,” Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

He added there had been a trend of successive Malaysian governments “promising much on human rights but ultimately delivering very little”.