Reforms to Malaysia's Death Penalty Laws

On 27 March 2023, two bills - the Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Bill 2023 and the Revision of Sentence of Death and Imprisonment for Natural Life (Temporary Jurisdiction of the Federal Court) Bill 2023 - were tabled in Parliament to abolish the mandatory death penalty and give judges discretion on sentencing, remove imprisonment for life until natural death as an alternative punishment, and grant the possibility to all those on death row to benefit from the reform.

We welcome the tabling of these bills as an important step toward the full abolition of the death penalty ...

On 27 March 2023, two bills - the Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Bill 2023 and the Revision of Sentence of Death and Imprisonment for Natural Life (Temporary Jurisdiction of the Federal Court) Bill 2023 - were tabled in Parliament to abolish the mandatory death penalty and give judges discretion on sentencing, remove imprisonment for life until natural death as an alternative punishment, and grant the possibility to all those on death row to benefit from the reform.

We welcome the tabling of these bills as an important step toward the full abolition of the death penalty, which is the ultimate cruel, inhumane and degrading punishment. We urge the Members of Parliament and the Senate to:

1. lend their support to both bills, to seize this historic opportunity to end the use of the mandatory death penalty as an important step towards full abolition;
2. ensure that any resentencing process is in line with international fair trial standards, including by ensuring that those applying for review have adequate time, resources such as language support, and access to legal representation, and by guaranteeing their right to appeal the decision;
3. reject whipping - which is prohibited under international law - and other alternative punishments that contravene the prohibition against torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; and
4. maintain the moratorium on all executions until the death penalty is fully abolished in Malaysia and all death sentences are commuted.

The tabling of these bills represents a unique opportunity for Malaysia to make significant advances towards full abolition. Your action is needed to strongly encourage our government representatives to ensure that Malaysia joins the majority of countries globally that have abolished the death penalty.

Click here to learn more about the use of the death penalty in Malaysia.

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MANSUHKAN HUKUMAN MATI MANDATORI

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Yang Berhormat,

Saya menulis untuk menyatakan sokongan terhadap rang undang-undang yang dibentangkan di Parlimen untuk memansuhkan hukuman mati mandatori di Malaysia. Saya memuji langkah kerajaan untuk mencari alternatif kepada hukuman mati mandatori, yang bukan sahaja melanggar hak untuk hidup seperti yang diisytiharkan dalam Deklarasi Hak Asasi Manusia Sejagat, tetapi juga merupakan hukuman paling kejam, tidak berperikemanusiaan dan menjatuhkan maruah.

Sebagai sebahagian daripada perubahan positif yang dialu-alukan, saya menyeru anda untuk:

1. Memberikan sokongan anda kepada kedua-dua rang undang-undang, dan untuk merebut peluang bersejarah ini untuk menamatkan penggunaan hukuman mati mandatori sebagai langkah penting ke arah pemansuhan sepenuhnya;

2. Memastikan bahawa sebarang proses pendakwaan semula adalah selaras dengan standard antarabangsa untuk perbicaraan adil, termasuk dengan memastikan bahawa mereka yang memohon untuk semakan mempunyai masa yang mencukupi, disediakan kemudahan seperti sokongan bahasa, diberikan akses kepada perwakilan undang-undang, dan dengan menjamin hak mereka untuk merayu keputusan itu;

3. Menolak hukuman sebat – yang dilarang di bawah undang-undang antarabangsa – dan hukuman alternatif lain yang melanggar larangan terhadap penyeksaan atau layanan atau hukuman lain yang kejam, tidak berperikemanusiaan atau menjatuhkan maruah; dan

4. Mengekalkan moratorium rasmi hukuman mati sehingga hukuman mati dimansuhkan sepenuhnya dan semua kes hukuman mati diringankan.

Melangkaui pemansuhan hukuman mati mandatori, saya berharap untuk melihat Malaysia menyertai majoriti negara di dunia yang telah memansuhkan hukuman mati sepenuhnya. Sebagai ahli Majlis Hak Asasi Manusia PBB, Malaysia mesti mengambil langkah penting ini untuk maju ke arah menikmati sepenuhnya hak untuk hidup. Kepimpinan hak asasi manusia sebegini sudah pasti akan bergema di kalangan negara lain di ASEAN dan di rantau Asia Pasifik amnya.

Penyingkiran hukuman mati mandatori merupakan suatu langkah penting, namun ia tidak semestinya yang terakhir. Malaysia boleh dan mesti gigih berusaha untuk memansuhkan hukuman kejam ini sepenuhnya.

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