KUALA LUMPUR: The Cabinet will discuss the report by the special committee to abolish capital punishment before making a decision, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan (pix).
He said the final report by the committee to review alternative sentences to the mandatory death penalty was submitted to the government on July 17.
“The findings of the committee are expected to answer the debate on whether the government will propose amending the punishment for drug trafficking to a minimum jail sentence so that punishments will be given based on the facts of each case,” Takiyuddin said in response to a question by Ramkarpal Singh (PH-Bukit Gelugor)
Ramkarpal had asked the prime minister whether the government would abolish the death sentence for drug trafficking.
He also asked if the government would propose amending the punishment for drug trafficking offences to a minimum jail term to allow sentences to be meted out according to the facts of individual cases
Takiyuddin said the final report contains recommendations on alternative punishments for 11 offences that carry the mandatory death sentence, offences under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 (Act 234), and 21 offences that carry the discretionary death sentence.
He said the committee had also made recommendations for long-term improvements to the country’s system of justice.
Former Law Minister Datuk Liew Vui Keong said in January the Pakatan Harapan government was consideting abolishing the mandatory death penalty but not capital punishment.
He had said this means that judges must have discretion in imposing the death sentence based on the specific facts and circumstances of the case which differed from one another.
In August 2019 the PH Cabinet had set up the Special Committee to Review Alternative Punishments to the Mandatory Death Penalty to look for alternatives to the mandatory death sentence.
