Amendments to death penalty to be tabled at Lower House in Oct, says minister

PUTRAJAYA - The first reading of the amendment to repeal the mandatory death penalty will be brought forward to Dewan Rakyat in October.

De facto law minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said it should be implemented early next year.

"It will be brought to the Senate in December. In January 2023, we hope to turn it into a reality," he said at a press conference in his office, here.

Malaysia last week confirmed it will abolish the mandatory death penalty, which is currently used in a number of offences, including murder and “terrorism”, and leave judges to decide the appropriate punishment.

The country took its first steps towards the abolition of the death penalty in October 2018 under the Pakatan Harapan government, and currently has a moratorium on executions.

More than 1,300 people are on death row, according to local media reports, with most of those facing execution convicted of drug offences.