MALAYSIA: BAR WANTS DEATH PENALTY ABOLISHED

the Malaysian Bar Council called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to abolish the death penalty as part of his reform agenda. Bar president Lim Chee Wee said Najib must have the political will and not adhere to popular opinion on the matter. Lim said governments had repealed capital punishment without resorting to referendums. He said research showed it had not been a deterrent for crime prevention.