The death penalty will still exist for serious crimes, but judges will have the option to impose alternative punishments such as lengthy prison sentences or whipping.
Malaysia’s Parliament has approved a bill that would scrap mandatory death penalties and limit capital punishment to serious crimes as part of wide-ranging reforms. The move brings possible reprieves to
Executions have already been on hold in the country since 2018, and rights groups say the latest "important step" could reverberate across the wider region.
Malaysia's Parliament approved a bill that would scrap mandatory death sentences for some some offenses that didn't cause death. The bill will spare almost 1,300 prisoners on death row.
Human rights groups have applauded Malaysia’s move to abolish the mandatory death penalty, bringing possible reprieves to more than 1,300 prisoners on death row. Previously, courts had no choice but to mandate hanging as punishment for a range of crimes.
Malaysia's parliament on Monday passed sweeping legal reforms to remove the mandatory death penalty, trim the number of offenses punishable by death, and abolish natural-life prison sentences, a move cautiously welcomed by rights groups.
