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
- NOVEMBER 15, 2000MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
Two men were sentenced to death for murdering the business...
Two men were sentenced to death for murdering the business partner of one of the men's wife
- SEPTEMBER 27, 2000MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
S. Sivakumar, 27, V. Muruga, 24, S
S. Sivakumar, 27, V. Muruga, 24, S
- JULY 28, 2000MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
A convicted drug trafficker, Sow Siow Yin, a 33 year...
A convicted drug trafficker, Sow Siow Yin, a 33 year old Malaysian woman, was executed at Changi Prison, Singapore
- JULY 21, 2000MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
The High Court sentenced 38-year-old Syed Adnan Syed...
The High Court sentenced 38-year-old Syed Adnan Syed Abdullah of Rompin to death after finding him guilty of murdering a night club guest relations officer
- JULY 3, 2000MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
A Briton was sentenced to death by the High Court in...
A Briton was sentenced to death by the High Court in Malaysia's northern state of Pulau Pinang for trafficking 189
- JULY 3, 2000MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
British charity group Prisoners Abroad appealed to...
British charity group Prisoners Abroad appealed to the Malaysian government to revoke a court sentence condemning a Briton to death by hanging for drug trafficking
- JUNE 14, 2000MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
Three Nigerians, Erivesto Anderson, 30, Michael Philip,...
Three Nigerians, Erivesto Anderson, 30, Michael Philip, 28, and Lawrence Osayi Erabor, 42, were sentenced to death by the High Court for committing the murders at a shop in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman on Feb 20, 1997
- JUNE 1, 2000MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
Mohd Zaiham Mislan, 25, from Johor Baru, was sentenced...
Mohd Zaiham Mislan, 25, from Johor Baru, was sentenced to death by the High Court after he was found guilty of trafficking 45
- MAY 16, 2000MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
Muhammad Safarudin Baba, 21, and Mohd Ashraf Endut,...
Muhammad Safarudin Baba, 21, and Mohd Ashraf Endut, 20 were sentenced to death by the High Court for trafficking in 1,031
- MARCH 30, 2000MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
The Court of Appeals upheld the mandatory death sentence...
The Court of Appeals upheld the mandatory death sentence imposed on Andy Baginda, a Filipino drug trafficker
- MARCH 28, 2000MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
The Federal Court dismissed an appeal by construction...
The Federal Court dismissed an appeal by construction worker Sam Hong Choy
- FEBRUARY 23, 2000MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
The Federal Court dismissed an appeal by a former soldier...
The Federal Court dismissed an appeal by a former soldier against the death sentence for drug trafficking
- JANUARY 28, 2000MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
Chan Choon Wai, 20, was sentenced to hang by a court...
Chan Choon Wai, 20, was sentenced to hang by a court in Singapore
- JANUARY 1, 2000MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
Another 212, including 12 foreigners, are on death...
Another 212, including 12 foreigners, are on death row for their sentences to be meted out
- JANUARY 1, 2000MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
Fourteen people (including 5 foreigners and a woman)...
Fourteen people (including 5 foreigners and a woman) were executed in 1999
- JANUARY 1, 2000MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
The Kidnapping Act 1961 (Act 365) makes it mandatory...
The Kidnapping Act 1961 (Act 365) makes it mandatory for kidnappers on conviction to receive "death, imprisonment for life and shall, if he is sentenced to death, also be liable to whipping"
- NOVEMBER 27, 1999MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
On November 27, UMNO Vice-President Seri Najib Tun...
On November 27, UMNO Vice-President Seri Najib Tun Razak said the Barisan National Government has incorporated the Shari'a law into the administration of the country
- NOVEMBER 20, 1999MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
On November 20, in Brunei, a court condemned a Malaysian...
On November 20, in Brunei, a court condemned a Malaysian truck driver, Daud bin Naim, 36, to hang
- 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