Malaysia puts an end to mandatory death penalty for 11 serious crimes

In a landmark move hailed by a number of rights groups, the Malaysian parliament on Monday voted to remove the country’s mandatory capital punishment, potentially going easy on roughly 1,341 prisoners on death row.

Although Malaysia has had a moratorium on executions for over four years now, lawmakers recently voted in large numbers to remove capital punishment as the mandatory sentence for 11 serious offences, including terrorism and murder.

Judges will retain discretion to impose the death penalty in exceptional cases. But the courts will now hand down life imprisonment sentences of up to 40 years for the most serious crimes or corporal punishment like caning, lawmakers informed.

Nevertheless, albeit the landmark reforms still need to pass Malaysia’s upper house, they are widely expected to. The capital punishment didn’t bring the results it was intended to, the country’s Deputy Law Minister Ramkarpal Singh said on Monday.

Keep Reading

34 crimes in Malaysia are punishable by death, 11 of which before the reforms used to carry the mandatory capital punishment. But now after the new laws get enacted, prisoners on death row will be given 90 days to seek a review of their sentences.

There are more than 1,300 such prisoners in Malaysia right now, and according to an Amnesty International assessment, over 60% of them had received the mandatory death penalty. Human Rights Watch says it expects the reform to influence similar situations in neighbouring countries.

While Singapore executed 11 people last year for drug trafficking offences, the military government in Myanmar also executed four pro-democracy activists. More than 1,300 prisoners were hanged in Malaysia between 1992 and 2023, official data reveals.

Although the legislative process to overturn capital punishment started last June, the death penalty’s abolishment has been part of heated debates in Malaysia for more than a decade now. Rights groups have hailed the latest development as a major step forward for the country.

AP Journalist

Keeping all readers updated about the recent developments in the Asia Pacific region. I am an avid reader and an inquisitive mind. Follow for all that’s new in the region.

Recent Posts

Ex-Captain Rashid Latif Advocates Pakistan’s Cricket Independence from India

Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif has voiced strong opinions about cricket match between India and Pakistan. He said that Pakistan… Read More

November 13, 2024

Slow Progress on Colombia’s Land Reform Efforts Stalls Hopes for Peace and Stability

President Gustavo Petro’s goal of redistributing land in Colombia—an issue central to the 2016 peace agreement between the government and… Read More

November 13, 2024

Fox News Host Pete Hegseth Nominated to Lead Pentagon Under Trump Administration

In a rather surprising decision, Donald Trump suggested Pete Hegseth, a news anchor at Fox News, become the Secretary of… Read More

November 13, 2024

Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul Fight Rescheduled for November 15 in Texas

The fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul has been moved to November 15. This fight will take place at… Read More

November 13, 2024

Dive into the striking art of Zimbabwe’s Peggy Masuku

Zimbabwe is popular for the abundant natural wealth which is spread out throughout the country. Another unique factor of Zimbabwe… Read More

November 12, 2024

Say Goodbye to Confusing Routes in Washington, DC With WMATA’s Better Bus Initiatives

A new bus system is on its way to Washington, DC. The Better Bus initiative, announced by WMATA last spring,… Read More

November 12, 2024

This website uses cookies.

Read More