KUALA LUMPUR: The government is looking into revising the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman.
Azalina (BN-Pengerang) said the move was to allow judges to exercise discretion when determine the appropriate sentence, particularly in marginal cases.
“The decision was made after the report on the review of the Act and the death penalty was tabled in the Cabinet recently.
“The Cabinet agreed to include additional provisions to empower the court when sentencing other than the mandatory death penalty under certain situations in drug trafficking under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952,” she told the Dewan Rakyat today. However, she said, every implementation must be made through the legal process.
“Other countries, including the United States, China, India, Singapore and Thailand still maintain the death penalty as the punishment for serious offenders,” she said.
She was replying to supplementary questions from M. Kulasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat), Mohamed Hanipa (Amanah-Sepang) and the motion of thanks to the royal address by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V.