KUALA LUMPUR: The Anti Death Penalty Asia Network (Adpan) is urging the government to take a step forward by abolishing whipping as a punishment.
Adpan project officer Sky Siaw said Malaysia, a country that inherited British law, should also take into consideration that the United Kingdom had long abolished caning.
"Many countries have already abolished whipping, including the UK, of which we inherited our law from.
"I think it is time for Malaysia to move forward and be a role model for our neighbouring countries by studying the removal of whipping as a punishment.
"We have abolished the mandatory death penalty and we now we should look into abolishing this inhumane punishment of whipping as well."
He said this after seven death row convicts of drug-related offences, saw their death sentence substituted with life imprisonment of 30 years from the date of their arrests.
A total of 11 people who had been convicted of drug trafficking became the first group of inmates to have their death sentences and life imprisonment commuted under the Revision of Sentence of Death and Imprisonment for Natural Life (Temporary Jurisdiction of the Federal Court) Act.
Out of the 11, two prisoners had been ordered by the court to be caned with 12 strokes as they were under the age of 50.
The act was passed in Dewan Rakyat on April 3, and came into force on July 4.
Under this law, mandatory death sentences for offences such as murder and drug trafficking have been removed, and judges would have the discretion to impose either the death penalty or a a minimum prison sentence of 30 years, and a maximum of 40 years.
If a male inmate under the age of 50 is not sentenced to death, he would also be punished with whipping of not less than 12 strokes.
Meanwhile, Siaw said today's landmark decision by the apex court gave death row inmates a glimmer of hope of reuniting with their families one day.
"A lot of them have been in prison for more than 20 years, they are just waiting to die.
"So with this abolishment, they have some hope that they can come back to their loved ones," he added.