Malaysia: Study on alternative to mandatory death penalty ready next year: Ex-CJ

KOTA BARU: The study on the alternative to the mandatory death sentence is expected to be ready by January next year at the latest.

Former Chief Justice Tan Sri Richard Malanjum, who also headed the Special Committee on the Study on the Alternative to the Mandatory Death Sentence, said that so far there had been many findings on the matter from members of the public.

“If in Kota Kinabalu recently, we found many public opinions including some who felt that the penalty should be retained, while some felt that it should be abolished and replaced with another sentence,” he said.

He disclosed this to reporters after attending a Town Hall Session on The Study on The Proposed Alternative To The Mandatory Death Sentence at the Kota Darul Naim Complex, here, which was the last State to hold the Town Hall Session on the study.

He said the Special Committee must also make an analysis and justification on the alternative to replace the penalty before the Government makes a decision.

“What is clear now is that the Government has made a decision to abolish the mandatory sentence (not the death sentence), so we have to give a reasonable alternative sentence to replace the mandatory sentence to the criminals.

“We will gather all opinions to be analysed and will be entered as recommendations to be tabled to the Cabinet for a final decision on the sentence,” he said.

Earlier, the media reported on Aug 29 that the Government had agreed that a Special Committee on the Study of the Alternative Sentence to the Mandatory Death Sentence be set up to study the overall sentencing policy to replace the mandatory death sentence with a more appropriate sentence, subject to the court’s discretion.

Besides Malanjum, nine other members appointed to the committee comprised legal experts such as a former Federal Court judge, a former senior federal counsel, legal practitioners, law lecturers from public universities and criminal study experts.

Source: dailyexpress.com.my, Bernama, November 30, 2019

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