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
- OCTOBER 3, 2024MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE OF MAN WHO KILLED MOTHER
The Putrajaya Court of Appeal on August 26, 2024 commuted the death sentence to 40 years in prison for a man who murdered his mother and dumped her body in a septic tank six years ago.
JULY 31, 2024MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: APPEALS COURT REINSTATES DEATH PENALTY FOR SIX EX-UPNM STUDENTS IN FATAL BULLYING CASE
The Court of Appeal has sent six former National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM) cadets to the gallows for the murder of fellow cadet Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain seven years ago, The Star reported on July 23, 2024.
JULY 22, 2024MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING ADOPTIVE PARENTS IN NILAI
A 45-year-old man was ordered to be sent to the gallows by the High Court in Seremban after he was found guilty of the double murders of his adoptive parents, The Star reported on July 4, 2024.
JULY 18, 2024MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: FEDERAL COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE OF ZARA’S MURDERER
The Federal Court on July 2, 2024 upheld the death sentence imposed on a former barber for the murder of an 11-month-old baby girl known as ‘Zara’ who suffered serious vaginal injuries due to sexual assault, six years ago.
- JULY 10, 2024MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: FEDERAL COURT COMMUTES MAN'S DEATH SENTENCE TO 38 YEARS JAIL FOR MURDERING TRANSVESTITE
A former scrap metal dealer’s death sentence for killing a transvestite 15 years ago has been commuted to 38 years in jail by the Federal Court, Bernama reported on July 4, 2024.
JULY 8, 2024MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: DEATH SENTENCE FOR INDONESIAN CLEANER’S MURDERER COMMUTED TO 35 YEARS JAIL
The Court of Appeal of Putrajaya on June 24, 2024 commuted the death sentence imposed on a 41-year-old man to 35 years in jail for murdering an Indonesian house cleaner in 2017 after she allegedly badmouthed him.
- JUNE 26, 2024MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: FEDERAL COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE OF FORMER BUSINESSMAN FOR MURDER OF UUM GRADUATE 18 YEARS AGO
The Federal Court in Putrajaya on May 29, 2024 upheld the death sentence of a former businessman for the murder of a female marketing executive 18 years ago.
- MAY 30, 2024MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: JAPANESE HAS DEATH SENTENCE REDUCED TO 30-YEAR PRISON TERM
Malaysia's top court commuted the death sentence imposed on a Japanese woman for drug trafficking to 30 years in prison on May 29, 2024, following a judicial reform that eliminated mandatory capital punishment for illicit drug trade and several other seri
MAY 28, 2024MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: FOUR JOHOREANS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING IN SABAH
Four Johoreans have been given the death penalty in Malaysia after they were found guilty of trafficking 34, 282.3 grams of drugs while travelling into Sandakan in 2020, The Star reported on May 9, 2024.
- MAY 27, 2024MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: WOMAN'S DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED TO 33 YEARS IN JAIL FOR MURDER
The Federal Court on May 20, 2024 commuted the death sentence of a woman who murdered her close friend by stabbing her seven times to 33 years in jail.
MAY 22, 2024MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: SIBU MAN HAS DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED TO 40 YEARS’ JAIL IN 2013 TRIPLE MURDER
A 54-year-old man was spared the gallows on May 13, 2024 after the Federal Court commuted his death sentence for the 2013 murders of his wife and two children in Sibu to 40 years in prison.
MAY 8, 2024MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: APPEALS COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE FOR 2 TURTLE EGG COLLECTORS
The Court of Appeal in Putrajaya on May 7, 2024 commuted the death sentence imposed on two turtle egg collectors to 12 years imprisonment for causing the death of their colleague who was trying to break up a fight eight years ago.