Malaysia
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy
- CONSTITUTION
- August 31, 1957, amended several times, last in 2007
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- based on English common law; legislative acts reviewed by the Supreme Court; Islamic law applies to Muslims in family and religious matters
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- bicameral, Senate (Dewan Negara) and House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat)
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- civil courts include: Federal Court, Court of Appeal, and High Courts; Sharia courts include Sharia Court of Appeal, High Sharia Court, and subordinate Sharia tribunals. Sharia court decisions cannot be appealed in civil courts
RELIGIONS
60% Muslims, 19% Buddhists, 9% Christians, 6% Hindus, other
From the country
NOVEMBER 27, 2019MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: FEDERAL COURT ACQUITS AUSTRALIAN WOMAN FACING DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
An Australian woman sentenced to death for drug-trafficking in Malaysia was acquitted on 26 November 2019 after the Federal Court in Kuala Lumpur quashed her earlier conviction by a lower court.
NOVEMBER 8, 2019MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: DEATH SENTENCE FOR TWO WOMEN IN PENANG FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
The High Court in George Town on 31 October 2019 sentenced to death two women after finding them guilty on a charge of trafficking in 294.9 grammes of drugs into the country three years ago.
OCTOBER 23, 2019MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: DRUG TRAFFICKER TO HANG AFTER APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE
The Court of Appeal of Kuching on 22 October 2019 upheld the death sentence on a 30-year-old man for trafficking 855.8 grammes of methamphetamine three years ago.
OCTOBER 22, 2019MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: INDONESIAN COUPLE SENT TO GALLOWS OVER DEATH OF INFANT SON
The Federal Court of Appeal on 21 October 2019 upheld the death sentence imposed on an Indonesian man for murdering his two-day-old infant son, and overturned the lower court’s decision to release his girlfriend from the same charge.
OCTOBER 22, 2019MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING COLLEAGUE OVER TASTELESS FOOD
An estate worker was sentenced to death by the High Court in Temerloh on 22 October 2019, after being found guilty of killing his colleague over a tasteless food preparation two years ago.
OCTOBER 17, 2019MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE OF NAJADI’S KILLER
The Court of Appeal in Putrajaya on 16 October 2019 upheld the death sentence of tow truck driver Koong Swee Kwan for murdering Arab-Malaysian Bank (AmBank) founder Hussain Ahmad Najadi.
OCTOBER 9, 2019MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: POPE FRANCIS THANKS JOHOR SULTAN FOR COMMUTING DEATH SENTENCES OF MEXICAN BROTHERS
Pope Francis has expressed his gratitude to Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar for commuting the death sentences of three Mexican brothers who were convicted for drug trafficking.
- OCTOBER 2, 2019MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: COURT UPHOLDS MILLIONAIRE KILLER’S DEATH SENTENCE
A man on 30 September 2019 lost his appeal at the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya to set aside his death sentence for murdering a millionaire businessman whose burnt remains were found in an oil palm estate.
AUGUST 9, 2019MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: KING PARDONS 3 INDONESIANS WHO HAD BEEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Three Indonesian citizens returned to their homeland on 7 August 2019 after they were granted pardons by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia).
- JULY 24, 2019MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
DON'T HANG A MENTALLY DISABLED PERSON, LAWYER TELLS SINGAPORE
A rights group on 23 July 2019 urged the Singapore government not to execute a 31-year-old Malaysian who was convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to death in 2010.
MAY 15, 2019MexicoDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: THREE MEXICANS SENTENCED TO DEATH RETURNED TO MEXICO
Three Mexican nationals who were sentenced to death in Malaysia have been pardoned and returned to the country, Riviera Maya News reported on 14 May 2019.
- APRIL 22, 2019MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR VIETNAMESE WOMAN CAUGHT TRAFFICKING DRUGS
A Malaysian court has rejected a Vietnamese woman’s appeal to set aside her death sentence for drug trafficking, e.vnexpress.net reported on 22 April 2019.