KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian judiciary’s sentencing policy is currently being reviewed following the government’s decision to study the death penalty.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman said a moratorium on the death sentence is already in force pending the findings of a special committee, set up to explore alternative forms of punishment to the mandatory death penalty.
He said the committee, formed following a Cabinet decision in August, held its first meeting on Sept 20 and would prepare a report over three-month period.
Its members comprise former Federal Court judges, former Attorney General’s Chambers officers, former senior officers of the Prisons Department as well as representatives of the Bar Council, Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), academics, criminologists, and civil society organisations.
Mohd Azis said there are currently 1,280 inmates on death row as of Dec 2 this year. Of the total, 453 inmates are appealing their cases in the Court of Appeal and Federal Court, he said.
"Another 827 are in the appeal process with the respective state’s pardon boards, and the warrants of execution against them have yet to be issued," he said in reply to a question by Kasthuri Patto (PH-DAP-Batu Kawan).
Mohd Azis said 734 of those on death row were Malaysians and 546 others were foreigners from 43 countries.
Of the Malaysians sentenced to death, 349 are Malays, 193 Indians, 158 Chinese and 34 of other ethnic groups.
“As for their age groups, 397 inmates are aged between 21 and 30, 525 of them between 31 and 40; and 267 are between 41 and 50.
"For those aged between 51 and 60, there are 74 death row inmates and 17 aged above 60," said.
To a supplementary question by Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan (Pas-Kota Baru), Mohd Azis said while the Prisons Department gives permission for the last words of offenders on death row to be recorded, it was made solely for their families.
“In this matter, we have to also consider the sensitivity of the victims’ families,” he said.
Takiyuddin had suggested that the last words of offenders prior to their execution could be made public and serve as deterrent to others.