Debating the Death Penalty

The first paragraph on a new study of public perceptions of the mandatory death penalty - launched on Monday the 8th of July - begins: “In Malaysia, the death penalty is the mandatory and, thus, the only punishment available to the courts for persons convicted of murder; for trafficking in narcotics in various amounts; and for discharging a firearm during the commission of various crimes, even if no-one is hurt. There is a growing political and public debate.” According to the co- Executive Directors of The Death Penalty Project, Saul Lehrfreund and Parvais Jabbar, “This study, for the first time, provides unique data from a large scale and detailed analysis of the views of the general public on the mandatory death penalty in Malaysia. The findings suggest that there would be little public opposition to abolition of the mandatory death penalty, in particular for drug trafficking, murder and firearms offences. We hope that this evidence will urge the Malaysian Government to consider legislative reform – in line with both public sentiment and international human rights standards.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.