Malaysia to repeal capital punishment

By Munira Abdelmenan Awel

ANKARA (AA) - The Malaysian government has decided to abolish capital punishment. A proposed bill will be discussed in the next session of the parliament.

Liew Vui Keong, a minister in charge of law in the prime minister's office, said the issue was discussed in the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, according to a Channel NewsAsia report.

The proposed bill is expected to be discussed by the government in the next parliament sitting, which is scheduled on next Monday.

“All death penalty will be abolished. Full stop," the report cited Keong as saying.

The minister called for a halt on all executions until the decision is in effect saying: ''Since we are abolishing the sentence, all executions should not be carried out.

''We will inform the Pardons Board to look into various applications for convicts on the [death penalty] waiting list to either be commuted or released."

Malaysian criminal law edicts to the death penalty for crimes such as murder, drug trafficking, and treason.

The Malaysian parliament decided to remove the death penalty as a mandatory punishment for drug trafficking and left it for the judge's decision by last year.