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
- FEBRUARY 27, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. PRISON OFFICER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF INMATE
Azhar Che Wil, an officer of Penor Prison, was sentenced to death by the High Court in Kauntan, Malaysia, for the murder of a 19-year-old detainee.
- FEBRUARY 22, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. DEATH PENALTY NEEDED TO FIGHT DRUG SCOURGE, PM
punitive measures like the death penalty for drug trafficking are needed to eradicate the scourge, Malaysian PM Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.
- FEBRUARY 15, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR CANNABIS
Mohammad Abdullah, unemployed, was sentenced to death by a High Court in Malaysia after being found guilty of trafficking in 2018.04 grams of cannabis.
- FEBRUARY 14, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. COURT AMENDS CHARGE, MAN ESCAPES THE GALLOWS
Shafie Ghani, a stall owner sentenced to death for drug trafficking, escaped the gallows in Malaysia after the Court of Appeal amended the charge against him.
- FEBRUARY 7, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. MAN ESCAPES DEATH SENTENCE AFTER DRUG CHARGE REDUCED
Zulkifli Latif escaped the death sentence after his drug trafficking charge was reduced to one of possession by the Malaysian High Court.
- JANUARY 25, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE. MALAYSIAN MAN TO HANG FOR CHINESE GIRL'S MURDER
Took Leng How, a 23-year-old Malaysian man, was set to be hanged in Singapore for murdering an eight-year-old mainland Chinese girl after loosing his appeal.
- JANUARY 1, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
In Malaysia capital crimes include murder, rape, drug crimes, treason and possession of arms.
In Malaysia capital crimes include murder, rape, drug crimes, treason and possession of arms.
- DECEMBER 6, 2005MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. GOVERNMENT HAS NO PLANS TO REPLACE DEATH SENTENCE BY HANGING
it was reported that the government of Malaysia had no plans to replace the death penalty by hanging with other methods of executions such as using the electric chair or lethal injection even though studies on other options had been undertaken.
- DECEMBER 2, 2005AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. MALAYSIA BACKS SINGAPORE DECISION TO EXECUTE AUSTRALIAN
Malaysia's Foreign Minister supported Singapore's decision to execute Australian heroin trafficker Nguyen Tuong Van, saying the death penalty was a necessary legal deterrent.
- NOVEMBER 25, 2005MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. CASHIER TO HANG FOR MURDER
V. Alaggandiran, a 26 year old former cashier of a video game arcade, was sentenced to the gallows by the High Court in Shah Alam, Malaysia, after being found guilty of murdering a factory worker because the latter was in love with his cousin.
- NOVEMBER 22, 2005MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. MAN TO HANG FOR MOM'S MURDER
Ho Sek Kong was sentenced to death by the Malaysian High Court for the brutal murder of his mother.
- SEPTEMBER 21, 2005MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. SCHIZOPHRENIC HAS DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED
Huzairin Azmi, a chronic schizophrenic, escaped the gallows when the Malaysian High Court acquitted him of murder on the grounds of insanity. Justice Datuk Abdull Hamid Embong, however, said that since Azmi, 21, had caused the death of a person, he would