Malaysia
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · The death penalty is provided for by various laws
- News items in the archive
- 970
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Malaysia is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 970 news items on Malaysia, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
MARCH 15, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: DRUG DEALER SENTENCED TO DEATH BY SIBU HIGH COURT
A drug dealer on 13 March 2023 was sentenced to death by Sibu High Court.
- FEBRUARY 27, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: ODD-JOB WORKER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF FRIEND
An odd-job worker, who was charged with the murder of his friend after he was found living with the corpse for a week, was sentenced to death on 21 February 2023 by the Ipoh High Court.
JANUARY 9, 2023MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: 3 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
The High Court of Shah Alam, Malaysia, on 4 January 2023 sentenced three men to death after finding them guilty of trafficking a total of 585.1gm of drugs into the country four years ago.
- DECEMBER 22, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA MAY ABOLISH MANDATORY DEATH PENALTY IN FEBRUARY, MINISTER SAYS
Mulling a review of the criminal justice system in the country, Malaysia may do away with the mandatory death penalty in the coming months, a minister said on 21 December 2022.
NOVEMBER 9, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: 24 YEAR-OLD SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF DENTAL TECHNOLOGIST
The High Court of Seremban, Malaysia, found a 24-year-old man guilty of killing a dental technologist four years ago and gave him the death penalty on 27 October 2022, Bernama reported.
OCTOBER 19, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: PARALYSED MECHANIC ESCAPES DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A mechanic who became paralysed from the waist down while in prison has escaped the gallows for drug trafficking committed in Malaysia three years ago, Free Malaysia Today reported on 19 October 2022.
OCTOBER 6, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: PUTRAJAYA TABLES BILLS TO ABOLISH MANDATORY DEATH SENTENCE FOR FIRST READING IN PARLIAMENT
The Malaysian government on October 6, 2022 introduced amendments to existing legislation in Parliament to replace the mandatory death penalty for several criminal offences, in a significant step towards bringing the country closer towards complete abolit
OCTOBER 2, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: EX-BIRD’S NEST SELLER FREED OF DEATH SENTENCE
A former bird’s nest seller has been freed of the death penalty as the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya set aside his conviction and sentence on two drug trafficking charges, Free Malaysia Today reported on 30 September 2022.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: GOVERNMENT TO INTRODUCE ALTERNATIVES TO DEATH PENALTY
The Malaysian government has decided to replace the mandatory death penalty with other types of punishment for a number of offences, said the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar on 14 September 2022.
JUNE 22, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: COUPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR GANJA TRAFFICKING SPARED GALLOWS
A couple sentenced to death in Malaysia three years ago for trafficking about 5kg of ganja were spared the gallows on 22 June 2022.
JUNE 21, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: 1,341 PRISONERS IN LIMBO
The lives of nearly 1,350 death-row inmates are hanging in the balance in the prisons of Malaysia.
- JUNE 13, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: GOVT AGREES TO ABOLISH MANDATORY DEATH PENALTY
Malaysia’s government has agreed to abolish the mandatory death penalty and to substitute it with other sentences which are subject to the discretion of the court.
APRIL 12, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: YOUNG WOMAN CONVICTED OF HUSBAND’S MURDER ESCAPES THE GALLOWS
A 22-year-old woman escaped the death penalty in Malaysia on 10 April 2022, when the Muar High Court ordered her to be jailed for a period until pardoned by the Sultan of Johor, after she was found guilty of killing her husband five years ago.
FEBRUARY 7, 2022MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: FOUR SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Three locals and a China national were sentenced to death by the Sibu High Court on 4 February 2022 after they were found guilty of two drug trafficking charges.
- DECEMBER 15, 2021MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: 4 NIGERIANS CHARGED WITH DRUG TRAFFICKING SPARED THE GALLOWS
Four Nigerians, including two former students, on 13 December 2021 escaped the gallows in two separate appeals before the Court of Appeal for drug trafficking.
- DECEMBER 7, 2021MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING NEIGHBOUR
The High Court in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, on 7 December 2021 sentenced a man to death by hanging for killing his neighbour five years ago.
- NOVEMBER 30, 2021MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: BANGLADESHI STUDENT ESCAPES DEATH PENALTY FOR CANNABIS TRAFFICKING
Malaysia on 25 November 2021 set aside the death sentence handed down to a Bangladeshi engineering student for trafficking 3.8 kg of cannabis in 2017 due to an "error" by the trial judge.
- NOVEMBER 21, 2021MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: 2 SENTENCED TO DEATH FREED OVER IDENTITY DOUBTS
A storekeeper and a forklift operator escaped the gallows for murder in Malaysia as two prosecution witnesses were unable to identify the assailants, Free Malaysia Today reported on 18 November 2021.
NOVEMBER 15, 2021MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: FEDERAL COURT ACQUITS NIGERIAN MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING IN 2018
A Nigerian national escaped the gallows after the Federal Court on 11 November 2021 set aside his conviction and death sentence for drug trafficking by the High Court and the Court of Appeal in Kuching, Malaysia.
OCTOBER 27, 2021MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: TWO MEN SENT TO THE GALLOWS FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A boat operator and a labourer were sentenced to death by the Tawau High Court, Malaysia, on 26 October 2021 for trafficking 327.1gm of methamphetamine which was stored in formula milk boxes two years ago.
OCTOBER 19, 2021MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: MOTHER OF NINE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG POSSESSION AND DISTRIBUTION
A single mother of nine children was given the mandatory death penalty by the Tawau High Court in Sabah, Malaysia, on 15 October 2021 for drug distribution charges.
- SEPTEMBER 19, 2021IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIAN REPATRIATED AFTER MALAYSIAN COURT OVERTURNS DEATH PENALTY
Indonesian Consul General in Kuching Yonny Tri Prayitno on 8 September 2021 confirmed the consulate offered legal and repatriation assistance to Indonesian Ical Samerin, 36, whose death penalty verdict was overturned in Malaysia.
- SEPTEMBER 19, 2021MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: NIGERIAN MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING NURSE
A Nigerian, Alowonle Oluwajuwon Gilbert, was sentenced to death on 4 August 2021 in Malaysia over the death of a nurse.
- JULY 15, 2021MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: YEMENI ESCAPES GALLOWS AFTER COURT RULES HE HAD AN ‘INCOMPETENT LAWYER’
A Yemeni national on 13 July 2021 escaped the gallows in Malaysia for a charge of trafficking 1.8kg of methamphetamine following his successful bid to quash a verdict of retrial from the Court of Appeal.
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 PENALTY
MALAYSIA: 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.