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
- SEPTEMBER 17, 2005IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. INDONESIAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
a Malaysian court sentenced Mardani Hussin, an Indonesian man, to death by hanging for trafficking cannabis.
- SEPTEMBER 8, 2005MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
Malaysia. Trafficking death penalty commuted
Lim Hock Boon, 40, escaped the gallows for allegedly trafficking in about a kilogram of cannabis because others had access to a car where the drugs were hidden.
- SEPTEMBER 6, 2005MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
Malaysia. Man escapes gallows on appeal
a Court of Appeal in Malaysia allowed Mohd Fauzi Ridzwan's appeal against a High Court conviction for trafficking in 4.5kg of ganja.
- AUGUST 31, 2005MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. CONVICTED TRAFFICKER GETS DEATH SENTENCE
the Malaysian High Court sentenced Mohamad Che Tam, unemployed, to death after finding him guilty of trafficking in 24.7g of heroin.
- AUGUST 26, 2005MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE. MALAYSIAN MAN SENTENCED TO HANG FOR CHINESE GIRL'S MURDER
Took Leng How, a 23-year-old Malaysian man, was sentenced to death by hanging after being found guilty of murdering an eight-year-old mainland Chinese girl in Singapore. Judge Lai Kew Chai in his verdict said the prosecution had proven its case that Took,
- AUGUST 13, 2005MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. COURT AFFIRMS DEATH FOR THREE
former bus driver Hanafi Mat Hassan, 37, failed to overturn his death sentence for the murder of a 24-year-old female computer engineer.
- AUGUST 10, 2005MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. INSURANCE EXECUTIVE SPARED HANGMAN'S NOOSE FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
the Malaysian Court of Appeal commuted the death sentence passed on Denish Madhavan, a 33-year-old insurance executive, for drug trafficking.
- AUGUST 2, 2005MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. NIGERIAN WOMAN LOSES DRUG APPEAL, TO FACE DEATH
Malaysia’s highest court has sentenced a Nigerian mother of five to death after refusing to overturn her drug trafficking conviction, a newspaper reported.
- JULY 5, 2005MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. DESPATCH RIDER LOSES APPEAL AGAINST DEATH SENTENCE IN FEDERAL COURT
the Federal Court dismissed the appeal of Mohamad Yazri Minhat against the death sentence imposed by the High Court which found him guilty of trafficking 133 kg of cannabis.
- MAY 18, 2005MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. MAN WHO KILLED GIRLFRIEND'S DAUGHTER ESCAPES GALLOWS ON APPEAL
M. Thirunyanam, a coconut seller convicted of murder, escaped the mandatory death sentence when the Court of Appeal in Malaysia reduced the conviction to that of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and sentenced him to the maximum jail term of 20 ye
- APRIL 21, 2005MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TRAFFICKING
Chong Chee Kong, a 46-year-old man who escaped from remand in Johor in 1989, was sentenced to death by the Malaysian High Court for drug trafficking. Kong, who had been on the run, was caught by police in 2001.
- APRIL 20, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA. DEATH SENTENCE UPHELD FOR CHINESE NATIONAL
the Malysian Court of Appeal reaffirmed a 2002 High Court ruling sentencing Chan King Yu, a Chinese national, to death for drug trafficking. Judge Datuk Gopal Sri Ram, in giving the court's unanimous decision, said the appellate court was satisfied that t