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
- NOVEMBER 17, 1999MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
On November 17, Ariffin Agas, 34, had his appeal rejected...
On November 17, Ariffin Agas, 34, had his appeal rejected by the Federal Court, affirming the conviction and his death sentence by the High Court on March 29, 1994
- NOVEMBER 1, 1999MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
In November, Parti Islam se-Malaysia, the Democratic...
In November, Parti Islam se-Malaysia, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and National Justice Party (Keadilan) agreed to form an Alternative Front to combat the ruling dominant United Malays National Organisation (UMNO)
- OCTOBER 19, 1999MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
On October 19, Badrul Hisham Abdul Aziz, Malaysia's...
On October 19, Badrul Hisham Abdul Aziz, Malaysia's representative at the Third Committee of the General Assembly, speaking on items 107 and 108, crime prevention and criminal justice and international drug control respectively, said that each State has t
- OCTOBER 15, 1999MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
On October 15, Bahari Isa, 40, from Narathiwat, southern...
On October 15, Bahari Isa, 40, from Narathiwat, southern Thailand, was found guilty by a High Court of trafficking in 38
- OCTOBER 1, 1999MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
In October, Abdul Hadi Awang, the Parti Islam se-Malaysia...
In October, Abdul Hadi Awang, the Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) Vice-President and an MP, reaffirmed his party's commitment to forming an Islamic state and gave notice that he would attempt again to table a bill that would apply the death penalty for apos
- SEPTEMBER 17, 1999MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
On September 17, lawyer Karpal Singh said that his...
On September 17, lawyer Karpal Singh said that his remarks at the Commonwealth Law Conference were merely intended to drive home the point that an independent and brave judiciary is needed to administer the laws
- AUGUST 15, 1999MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
On August 15, after an associate of jailed former Deputy...
On August 15, after an associate of jailed former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said boxes of government documents were being held overseas to expose malpractice, Ibrahim Ali, a deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department, said he would propo
- AUGUST 14, 1999MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
On August 14, Justice Kang Hwee Gee condemned M
On August 14, Justice Kang Hwee Gee condemned M
- AUGUST 1, 1999MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
On August 1, unemployed Tan Kim Ho, 36, and plumber...
On August 1, unemployed Tan Kim Ho, 36, and plumber Ho Jin Lock, 31, were sentenced to death for firearms offenses, following a 1992 shooting at the Hot Lips Lounge where a teacher, M
- JULY 22, 1999MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
Malaysia signed the letter, dated 22 July 1999, addressed...
Malaysia signed the letter, dated 22 July 1999, addressed to the President of the Economic and Social Council, in which the retentionist countries dissociated from the Commission on Human Rights resolution 1999/61 on the question of the death penalty
- JULY 5, 1999MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
On July 5, Deputy Home Minister Azmi Khalid, speaking...
On July 5, Deputy Home Minister Azmi Khalid, speaking after flagging off and taking part in an "Anti-Dadah Walkathon," said: "When the death penalty was introduced in the early 1980s, many called it 'barbaric' but today even the United Nations and the Uni
- JULY 1, 1999MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
In July, the celebrated Sheikh of al-Azhar University,...
In July, the celebrated Sheikh of al-Azhar University, the late Mahmud Shaltut who was esteemed for his vast knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and Koranic interpretation, wrote that many ulama (doctors of law) are in agreement that hudud [Koranic punishm