Malaysia to abolish death penalty soon - Official

Malaysia's Cabinet has given the green light for the capital punishment to be abolished in the Southeast Asian nation soon, Datuk Liew Vui Keong, the minister in charge of law in the Prime Minister's Department, said.

"All death penalty will be abolished. Full stop. Since we are abolishing the sentence, all executions should not be carried out," Liew was quoted as saying by The Straits Times online newspaper.

A statue of Malaysia's first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman is pictured in front of the parliament building in Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2018. Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-to-abolish-death-penalty-bill-may-be-tabled-soon-10812718

The minister stressed that various aspects must be taken into account when determining the punishment.

"Drug-related offenses will be different and consideration must be given to convicts who, for example, were drug mules, as compared to those who committed heinous crimes," he noted.

The bill on abolishing the capital punishment will be submitted to the parliament during its session starting on October 15.

Capital punishment is a legal penalty in Malaysia for grave crimes such as murder, drug trafficking, treason, and child sexual abuse.

(SPUTNIK)