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
MAY 22, 2021MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: COUPLE GET DEATH FOR KILLING EIGHT-YEAR-OLD SON
A married couple was sent to the gallows on 21 May 2021 by the High Court of Shah Alam after they were found guilty of murdering their eight-year-old son at a massage centre where they worked, four years ago.
APRIL 29, 2021MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: WIDOWER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A widower was sent to the gallows by the High Court of Kuala Lumpur on 22 April 2021 after he was found guilty of trafficking 149.5 grams of methamphetamine three years ago.
APRIL 19, 2021MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: NGO RELEASES SONG PENNED BY MALAYSIAN DEATH ROW INMATE TO SPREAD AWARENESS
A new Malaysian NGO, Sebaran Kasih has embarked on producing a song written by an inmate, Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, who is in the Changi Prison in Singapore awaiting execution, the New Straits Times reported on 17 April 2021.
APRIL 1, 2021MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: EX-POLICEMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR STEP-DAUGHTER’S MURDER
A former police corporal told his family members to accept what had happened and to look after his children after the High Court of Kuala Lumpur on 31 March 2021 sentenced him to death by hanging for killing his step-daughter six years ago.
MARCH 1, 2021MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: FEDERAL COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE OF EX-TOW TRUCK DRIVER FOR MURDER OF AMBANK FOUNDER
The Federal Court in Putrajaya on 1 March 2021 upheld the conviction and death sentence of a former tow truck driver for the murder of Arab-Malaysian Bank (AmBank) founder Hussain Ahmad Najadi in 2013.
DECEMBER 17, 2020MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: PERSONAL BODYGUARD SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING EMPLOYER, TWO OTHERS IN PENANG
The George Town High Court on 16 December 2020 ordered a personal bodyguard to be sent to the gallows after finding him guilty of murdering his employer and two others in a shooting incident along the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway four years ago.
OCTOBER 8, 2020MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: FEDERAL COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE OF FORMER SAWMILL WORKER FOR MURDER, RAPE OF NURSE
A former sawmill worker who raped a nurse after slashing the woman on the neck will be hanged for her death, having failed in his last attempt to set aside the death sentence, after the Federal Court of Putrajaya dismissed his appeal on 7 October 2020.
SEPTEMBER 26, 2020MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: PENANG MOTHER AND BOYFRIEND SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING HER 5-YEAR-OLD SON
The Penang High Court on 24 September 2020 sentenced a mother and her boyfriend to death for the murder of her son in 2014.
SEPTEMBER 12, 2020MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: DRUG DEALER SENTENCED TO DEATH IN KUCHING
A drug dealer on 21 August 2020 was sentenced to death by hanging by the High Court in Kuching on the charge of trafficking 211.95 grams of syabu, or methamphetamine two years ago.
SEPTEMBER 7, 2020MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: NEPALI SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING FELLOW COUNTRYMAN
The High Court in Ipoh, Malaysia, on 17 August 2020 sentenced a Nepali man to death after finding him guilty of murdering a lorry driver and fellow countryman four years ago.
AUGUST 3, 2020MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: HAWKER SENT TO GALLOWS FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A hawker has been sentenced to death for trafficking in 41.7gm of heroin and monoacetylmorphines following a cross-appeal by the prosecution under the amended Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA), Free Malaysia Today reported on 30 July 2020.
JULY 28, 2020MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: BANGLADESHI MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING FELLOW COUNTRYMAN TWO YEARS AGO
A Bangladeshi man on 28 July 2020 was sentenced to death by the High Court in George Town, Malaysia, after he was found guilty for the murder of a countryman two years ago.