Malaysia Abolishes The Death Penalty, Minister Of Law: Ensure The Rights Of All Parties Are Protected And Guaranteed

Illustration of Putrajaya area, Malaysia. (Wikimedia Commons/pratanti)

JAKARTA - Malaysian authorities have agreed to replace the mandatory death penalty with another sentence at the discretion of the court, the country's law minister said Friday.

The cabinet also agreed to study alternate sentences for all offenses that carry the death penalty, said Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

Malaysia has had a moratorium on executions since 2018, when the neighboring country also pledged to abolish mandatory and discretionary death sentences.

But the government backed down in 2019, saying it would overturn the mandatory death penalty but leave the courts to decide whether someone convicted of a serious crime should be hanged.

Minister Wan Junaidi said the decision followed the recommendation of a government committee reviewing alternative penalties, but did not give a timeframe for when to start the process to amend the law.

"The decision demonstrates the government's priority in ensuring the rights of all parties are protected and guaranteed, and reflects the transparency of the national leadership in enhancing the dynamic criminal justice system in the country," he said in a statement.

Malaysia has a mandatory death penalty for several offences, including drug trafficking and murder. Meanwhile, the law also permits the death penalty for some other crimes at the discretion of the court.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said on Twitter all relevant laws would be amended to accommodate the changes.

Separately, New York-based Human Rights Watch welcomed the announcement as a positive step, but said it was important to ensure Malaysia followed through.

"We need to see Malaysia pass actual legislative amendments to implement this promise because we have walked this path before, with successive Malaysian Governments promising a lot of human rights but ultimately delivering very little," said Deputy Asia Director Phil Robertson.