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
MARCH 15, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: DRUG DEALER SENTENCED TO DEATH BY SIBU HIGH COURT
A drug dealer on 13 March 2023 was sentenced to death by Sibu High Court.
- FEBRUARY 27, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: ODD-JOB WORKER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF FRIEND
An odd-job worker, who was charged with the murder of his friend after he was found living with the corpse for a week, was sentenced to death on 21 February 2023 by the Ipoh High Court.
JANUARY 9, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: 3 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
The High Court of Shah Alam, Malaysia, on 4 January 2023 sentenced three men to death after finding them guilty of trafficking a total of 585.1gm of drugs into the country four years ago.
- DECEMBER 22, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA MAY ABOLISH MANDATORY DEATH PENALTY IN FEBRUARY, MINISTER SAYS
Mulling a review of the criminal justice system in the country, Malaysia may do away with the mandatory death penalty in the coming months, a minister said on 21 December 2022.
NOVEMBER 9, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: 24 YEAR-OLD SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF DENTAL TECHNOLOGIST
The High Court of Seremban, Malaysia, found a 24-year-old man guilty of killing a dental technologist four years ago and gave him the death penalty on 27 October 2022, Bernama reported.
OCTOBER 19, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: PARALYSED MECHANIC ESCAPES DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A mechanic who became paralysed from the waist down while in prison has escaped the gallows for drug trafficking committed in Malaysia three years ago, Free Malaysia Today reported on 19 October 2022.
OCTOBER 6, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: PUTRAJAYA TABLES BILLS TO ABOLISH MANDATORY DEATH SENTENCE FOR FIRST READING IN PARLIAMENT
The Malaysian government on October 6, 2022 introduced amendments to existing legislation in Parliament to replace the mandatory death penalty for several criminal offences, in a significant step towards bringing the country closer towards complete abolit
OCTOBER 2, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: EX-BIRD’S NEST SELLER FREED OF DEATH SENTENCE
A former bird’s nest seller has been freed of the death penalty as the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya set aside his conviction and sentence on two drug trafficking charges, Free Malaysia Today reported on 30 September 2022.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: GOVERNMENT TO INTRODUCE ALTERNATIVES TO DEATH PENALTY
The Malaysian government has decided to replace the mandatory death penalty with other types of punishment for a number of offences, said the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar on 14 September 2022.
JUNE 22, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: COUPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR GANJA TRAFFICKING SPARED GALLOWS
A couple sentenced to death in Malaysia three years ago for trafficking about 5kg of ganja were spared the gallows on 22 June 2022.
JUNE 21, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: 1,341 PRISONERS IN LIMBO
The lives of nearly 1,350 death-row inmates are hanging in the balance in the prisons of Malaysia.
- JUNE 13, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: GOVT AGREES TO ABOLISH MANDATORY DEATH PENALTY
Malaysia’s government has agreed to abolish the mandatory death penalty and to substitute it with other sentences which are subject to the discretion of the court.