NGO lauds govt for adopting anti-death penalty resolution at UN assembly

 

The government has been lauded for being one of 125 nations that adopted a resolution against the death penalty at the United Nations General Assembly last week.

Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture (Madpet) NGO said this is a historic moment, as Malaysia had contributed to two-thirds of the assembly adopting the resolution.

Singapore and Brunei were among 37 countries that voted against the resolution while 22 countries were absent.

This is the third time Malaysia has adopted the resolution for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty with a view to abolishing the death penalty, the first being in 2018 under the Pakatan Harapan government.

Malaysia maintained this position in 2020 under the Perikatan Nasional-BN government.

Madpet said following the adoption of the resolution, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's administration must take the first step towards abolishing capital punishment by continuing the passage of bills drafted to repeal the mandatory death penalty.

The bills were tabled earlier this year but Parliament was dissolved on Oct 10 before they could be passed.

"We call on Anwar’s coalition government led by Pakatan Harapan to forthwith take the next step and abolish the death penalty in Malaysia speedily," Madpet representative Charles Hector said in a statement.

He added that as a democratic country, Malaysia should pursue sentencing which is "fair, consistent, proportionate and with the opportunity for rehabilitation".

"The abolition of the death penalty, in favour of repentance, rehabilitation and second chances is consistent with the values of the different religions and cultures of Malaysians.

"Madpet reiterates our call for the abolition of the death penalty, and for the moratorium on executions pending abolition," Hector said.

In June, then minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and law) Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar announced the decision to remove the mandatory death penalty for 11 offences and 22 other offences that carry a potential death sentence at the court's discretion.

Then premier Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government was of the view that everyone deserved a second chance.

The bills were first drafted in 2019 under Liew Vui Keong, the minister in charge of law in the Harapan government at the time. - Mkini