Decision on abolishment of death penalty only after special committee submits findings, says law minister

IPOH: The government will make a decision on the proposed abolishment of the death penalty once a special committee submits their findings, says Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) said the committee, established in 2019, was set up to gauge the public’s response to the proposal as well as to examine the ramifications of such a decision.

He said the committee was asked to look at the issue from several aspects, as well as take into consideration the views of various stakeholders.

“One critical factor was to evaluate the effectiveness of capital punishment as a deterrent.

“There have been repeated calls to abolish the death penalty, and as a minister, I need to assess the effectiveness of these punishments as a deterrent.

“We must study this thoroughly before making any decision, as we also need to see if rehabilitation of convicts would be a better option in the best interests of society,” he said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec 29).

Wan Junaidi added that the study on the issue was in line with the government’s aspirations to rehabilitate criminals and assimilate them back into the community.

“If they have done their time, paid their dues, show genuine remorse for what they have done and have been completely rehabilitated, we should not close the door on them,” he added.

Wan Junaidi said the committee’s findings would be presented to the Cabinet and a final decision would only be made after that.

He said the Bill to amend death penalty legislation as well as other relevant laws are expected to be tabled in Parliament by the third quarter of next year.