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
- JUNE 28, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. BAR COUNCIL RENEWES CALL FOR DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION
the Bar Council renewed its call for the abolishment of capital punishment in Malaysia reasoning that the death penalty is a cruel and extreme form of punishment.
- JUNE 13, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. COURT DISMISSES DEATH PENALTY APPEAL OF DECEASED MAN
the Malaysian Federal Court dismissed the appeal of businessman Alex Wong Teck Choy against his death sentence for murder. During the hearing, counsel Datuk Muhammad Shafee Abdullah informed the court that his client had died on May 8.
- JUNE 9, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. DEATH SENTENCE UPHELD FOR MURDER OF ACCOUNTANT
Abdullah Lee’s death sentence for murdering an accountant in 2000 was upheld by the Malaysian Federal Court which unanimously dismissed Lee's appeal against the Appeal Court’s decision to send him to the gallows for killing 52-year-old Lee Good Yew.
- MAY 11, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE. 34,000 PEOPLE SIGN PETITION AGAINST TOOK LENG HOW'S DEATH SENTENCE
the fate of convicted murderer Took Leng How will be known within three months, as a last-ditch effort to spare him from the gallows reaches the President. Some 34,000 people have signed a petition against Took's death sentence, due to be submitted to Pre
- APRIL 27, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. MAN ESCAPES THE GALLOWS DUE TO LOST EVIDENCE
a despatch rider escaped the gallows when the High Court in Bernama, Malaysia, discharged and acquitted him from charges of distributing over 3Kg of cannabis.
- APRIL 20, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. AMNESTY REGRETS PROPOSAL TO EXTEND THE USE OF DEATH PENALTY
Amnesty International Malaysia said it regretted that the Malaysian government was proposing in its Water Industry Bill 2006 to extend the use of the death penalty for anyone found guilty of contaminating water sources.
- MARCH 30, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. FORMER SOLDIER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
Sita Raman, a 32 year old former soldier, was sentenced to death for murdering his friend by stabbing him twice in the neck at Nilai, near Bernama, Malaysia.
- MARCH 30, 2006IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE ON INDONESIAN NATIONAL FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Malaysia’s Court of Appeal upheld a High Court decision to send an Indonesian man to the gallows for trafficking in cannabis.
- MARCH 21, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. LAW MINISTER SUPPORTS CALLS TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
Nazri Aziz, Malaysian Cabinet Minister in charge of law in the Prime Minister’s Department, said he supported calls for abolishing Malaysia’s death penalty, which was largely used against drug traffickers.
- MARCH 20, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. BAR VOTES AGAINST DEATH PENALTY, CALLS FOR MORATORIUM
the Malaysian Bar called for the abolition of the death penalty and an immediate freeze on all executions.
- MARCH 7, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. COURT REINSTATES DEATH SENTENCE ON MAN FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Abdul Manap Mohamad Hassan, 51, had his hopes for freedom dashed when the Federal Court in Malaysia reinstated the death sentence on him for trafficking in 62.09 grams of heroin in March 1996.
- MARCH 3, 2006IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. HIGH COURT ADJOURNS TRIAL ON INDONESIAN WORKER
a Malaysian High Court adjourned the trial of an Indonesian male worker from the West Lombok district, Suhaedi bin Asnawi, who had been sentenced to death for the murder of his employer.