Malaysia’s parliament on Monday approved sweeping legislative reforms to scrap the mandatory death penalty, reduce the number of crimes punishable by death and abolish natural life sentences, a move cautiously welcomed by advocacy groups. defence of rights. Malaysia has maintained a moratorium on executions since it first pledged to abolish the death penalty in 2018.
However, in the face of political pressure from some parties, the government backtracked a year later, stating that he would retain the death penalty but allow courts to substitute other penalties at their discretion. In the adopted amendment, alternatives to the death penalty included flogging and 30 to 40 years in prison. The new custodial sentences will replace all previous provisions requiring life imprisonment. Life imprisonment, defined by Malaysian law as a fixed term of 30 years, will continue.
The death penalty will also be removed as an option for certain serious crimes that do not result in death, such as opening fire, gun trafficking and kidnapping. Malaysia’s move comes as some Southeast Asian neighbours step up the use of the death penalty, Singapore executed 11 people for drug-related offenses last year and military-ruled Myanmar carried out its first executions in decades against four rebels Verdict.
The Executive Coordinator of the Asian Network Against the Death Penalty, Dobby Chew, said the adoption of the amendment was a good start towards the complete abolition of the death penalty.
This News is Written by Miss. Ankita , Associate , All India Legal Forum .
ALL INDIA LEGAL FORUM 