Malaysia to abolish mandatory death penalty

The government said Friday that Malaysia would abolish the mandatory death penalty, in a move cautiously welcomed by rights groups as a rare progressive step on the issue for the region.

In a statement, Malaysian law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said mandatory death sentences for serious crimes would be replaced by "alternative punishments" at the courts' discretion.

The statement said that relevant laws would be amended, adding that further research would be carried out on alternative sentences for several crimes that carry the death penalty, including drug offenses.

Cabinet has agreed for further scrutiny and study to be carried out on the proposed substitute sentences for 11 offenses carrying the mandatory death penalty, one offense under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 (Act 234), and 22 offenses carrying the death penalty at the discretion of the court.