Malaysia abolishes mandatory death penalty

Abolished Death Penalty: Malaysia has agreed to abolish the mandatory death penalty and has also agreed on a substitute sentence that will be imposed at the discretion of the courts. The step is significant for Southeast Asia where crimes punishable by death include drug trafficking, murder, kidnapping, terrorism, and possession of firearms.

Malaysian Government decided to abolish the mandatory death penalty after the presentation of a report on the study of alternative sentences for the mandatory death penalty during the cabinet meeting on June 8, 2022.

In May 2022, Zambia had also announced its plan to abolish the death penalty. The decision was welcomed by UN Human Rights, saying that Zambia's plans to abolish the death penalty added to the growing global chorus against the practice.

BREAKING: Malaysia abolishes the death penalty pic.twitter.com/jIE0AFX9Hi

— Heather Chen (@heatherchen_) June 10, 2022

Malaysia abolishes death penalty

Malaysia’s Minister in the Department of Prime Minister Wan Junadi Tuanku Jaafar said that capital punishment will be replaced by other types of punishment at the court’s discretion.

The Cabinet has agreed that further studies and research will be carried out regarding the proposed alternative sentences for 11 offenses that carry the mandatory death penalty, one offence under Section 39B of the Dangerous Act, and 22 offenses that carry the death penalty but under the discretion of the court.

Death Penalty in Malaysia: Background

Capital Punishment in Malaysia is a legal penalty, although there is a moratorium on executions. There are 33 Capital Crimes, including drug trafficking, murder, acts of terrorism, treason, and since 2003, rape resulting in death. The executions are carried out by hanging.

The idea behind capital punishment in Malaysia arose from a mix of the common law system that Malaysia inherited during at their time of British colonization, as British Malaya, and the authorization of capital punishment in Islam.

Why death penalty should be abolished?

As per the Human Rights Group, the death penalty breaches human rights, in particular the right to life and the right to live free from torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.

Both the rights are protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948.

Death Penalty in different countries

In 2021, the most known executions took place in China, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Syria- in that order, according to Amnesty International.

Except for China, 80 percent of all the reported executions took place in just three countries- Iran, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.