Reform could mean reprieves for some of the 1,300 prisoners on death row, including 500 foreigners
Malaysia’s parliament has approved a bill that would scrap mandatory death penalties for a range of serious crimes as part of wide-ranging reforms, bringing possible reprieves to more than 1,300 prisoners on death row.
Currently, courts must mandate hanging as punishment for 11 serious crimes including murder, drug trafficking, treason, kidnapping and acts of terror. Now, courts will be given the option of handing down jail sentences of between 30 and 40 years and caning, deputy law minister Ramkarpal Singh said.
