MALAYSIA: ‘THE DEATH PENALTY SHOULD BE MAINTAINED FOR NOW’

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz said the Government has no immediate plans to abolish the death penalty, insisting that Malaysia still needs the punishment as a deterrent for serious crimes. Nazri said, however, that the proposal to remove the provision would be considered but only after a thorough review is conducted.
“This is needed because the scrapping of the death penalty or natural life imprisonment sentences would greatly impact the country’s legal system,” he said in a written response to Karpal Singh, Chairman of the Democratic Action Party and member of Parliament for Bukit Gelugor.
Explaining further, Nazri said it was appropriate to maintain the death penalty to deter serious offences like murder, drug trafficking and other crimes involving firearms, ammunition and explosives.