Malaysia’s government said on Friday (June 10) that it intended to abolish the death penalty systematically in certain cases, a decision welcomed by activists who are however cautious, as the country has repeatedly reneged on its promises on this subject. .
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The death penalty, by hanging, is provided for by law for a whole range of crimes, including murder and drug trafficking. A moratorium has, however, been in place since 2018. That year, the government reversed plans to abolish the death penalty, the announcement of its abolition having sparked the dissatisfaction of the families of victims and politicians opposed to the death penalty. government. The Minister in charge of Law, Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, said on Friday that his ministry had decided to abolish the death penalty.
A process that “will take a little time”
Further study will be conducted on possible alternatives to the death penalty, he added. “The decision on this issue shows that the government has made it a priority to ensure that the rights of all parties are protected and guaranteed.“, he said in a statement. In addition to crimes for which the death penalty is systematic, it can be pronounced at the discretion of a judge in certain cases. A law will have to be passed by parliament, and Wan Junaidi told AFP that this “will take some time“, without giving more details. The process is notnot as simple as people imagine“, he added.
While welcoming the announcement, activists exercised caution. “This is an important step forwardPhil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, told AFP. “But before everyone cheers, we need to see Malaysia pass the legislative amendments to implement that promise.“. He recalled that successive Malaysian governments tended to “to make big promises on human rights, but to do very little“.
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Katrina Jorene Maliamauv, Executive Director of Amnesty International Malaysia, hailed the decision as “a step in the right direction, and we urge (the government) to go further and work towards the total abolition of this cruel punishment“. Opposition MP Ramkarpal Singh, whose party was in power when the government first proposed abolishing the death penalty, said he supported the move. “We have always advocated for the abolition of the mandatory death penalty“, he told AFP.
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