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 16, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: APEX COURT COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY AND NATURAL-LIFE IMPRISONMENT OF 11 CONVICTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A total of 11 individuals convicted for drug trafficking became the first batch of inmates to have their death sentence and natural-life imprisonment commuted under the Revision of Sentence of Death and Imprisonment for Natural Life (Temporary Jurisdictio
NOVEMBER 6, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: APPEALS COURT COMMUTES WELDER’S DEATH SENTENCE TO 35 YEARS’ JAIL FOR KILLING HOUSEWIFE
A welder escaped the gallows in Malaysia on November 6, 2023 after the Court of Appeal commuted the death sentence imposed on him by the High Court to 35 years in jail for killing a housewife.
OCTOBER 9, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: APPEALS COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE ON LOVERS FOR MURDER TO 30 YEARS IMPRISONMENT
A Malaysian Court of Appeal on October 5, 2023 commuted the death sentence imposed on a pair of lovers to 30 years in prison for the murder of a five-year-old boy, who is the son of the accused female, nine years ago.
AUGUST 23, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: COUPLE'S DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED TO 40 YEARS JAIL FOR MURDERING DAUGHTER
A married couple escaped the gallows in Malaysia after the Court of Appeal on August 23, 2023 commuted their death sentence to a maximum jail sentence of 40 years for murdering their daughter.
AUGUST 7, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: TWO TO HANG FOR KILLING SIBU SENIOR CITIZEN TO GET DRUG MONEY
Two men were sentenced to the gallows by the Sibu High Court on July 31, 2023 for robbing and murdering a senior citizen for money to buy drugs.
AUGUST 3, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: TWO FOREIGNERS WERE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF GRAB DRIVER
Two foreigners were sentenced to death by the High Court in Shah Alam on July 28, 2023 after they were found guilty of the murder of a local Grab driver five years ago.
JULY 20, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: RELIEF FOR KENYAN WOMAN FACING DEATH SENTENCE
The Court of Appeal in Malaysia on July 20, 2023 handed a Kenyan woman a lesser sentencing after reviewing her case in which she was found guilty of trafficking drugs and other illegal substances.
JULY 5, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: LAW FOR REVIEW OF DEATH SENTENCE NOT IN FORCE YET, SAYS RAMKARPAL
Close to 1,000 prisoners on death row or serving natural life jail terms will have to wait before filing applications to the Federal Court for a review of their sentences under a law passed by Parliament recently, Free Malaysia Today reported on July 4, 2
JULY 4, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: LAW TO ABOLISH MANDATORY DEATH PENALTY TAKES EFFECT ON JULY 4
The Abolition of the Mandatory Death Penalty Act 2023 (Act 846) will come into force in Malaysia on July 4, 2023.
- APRIL 3, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: LOWER HOUSE VOTES TO ABOLISH MANDATORY DEATH PENALTY
The Dewan Rakyat, or lower house, of Malaysia’s Parliament on 3 April 2023 approved legal reforms to abolish the mandatory death penalty for some offences.
MARCH 29, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: ‘DON’T ABOLISH MANDATORY DEATH PENALTY’, PROFESSOR MUZAFFAR SAYS
The government should consider retaining the death penalty for serious and heinous crimes, Dr Muzaffar Syah Mallow said on 26 March 2023.
- MARCH 28, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: BILL TO ABOLISH MANDATORY DEATH PENALTY TABLED FOR FIRST READING
The Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Bill 2023 was tabled for first reading in the Dewan Rakyat (Lower House) on 27 March 2023.