Malaysia’s Lower House Approves Reforms to Abolish Death Penalty for Select Offences

On Monday, Malaysia’s Lower House approved legal reforms to eliminate the mandatory death penalty for certain offenses. The 34 crimes that would be affected include drug trafficking and murder, with 11 currently carrying a mandatory death sentence.

While Malaysia has had a moratorium on executions since 2018, courts have continued to sentence people to death. Alternatives to the death penalty include 30 to 40 years of imprisonment or whipping.

Lawmakers have also agreed to remove capital punishment as an option for serious crimes that do not cause death. Malaysia has been a proponent of the death penalty since its independence in 1957, but Deputy Law Minister Ramkarpal Singh believes it is an ineffective deterrent to crime and violates the inherent right to life.

Further updates on this matter will be announced.