A total of 863 inmates facing the death penalty have had their sentences commuted or reduced, says Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
However, 49 remain on death row as of October 2024, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) said.
“Although the mandatory death penalty has been abolished, judges still retain the discretion to impose capital punishment,” she said in a written parliamentary reply yesterday.
Azalina was replying to a question from Ramkarpal Singh (PH-Bukit Gelugor), who had asked whether the government intends to extend the moratorium on executions for prisoners whose death sentences have been upheld by the Federal Court.
Under the Review of Death Penalty and Life Imprisonment Act 2023, the mandatory death penalty was abolished and the number of offences that carry capital punishment was reduced.
Azalina said the government has formed a task force to reassess the country’s death penalty policy and long-term direction.
“The group will work with the Criminal Law Reform Committee and conduct holistic stakeholder engagements, including with criminal law experts, families of death row inmates and families of victims.
“The review is expected to be completed by January 2026, after which its recommendations, including the future of the execution moratorium, will be presented to the Cabinet,” she added.
Azalina stressed that the moratorium on executions, which has been in place since 2018, remains.
The move reflects the government’s commitment to fair trial standards, human rights considerations, and balancing justice for victims with the wider public interest.
