From Borderland Beat:
The Malaysian method of execution is hanging.
Capital punishment in Malaysia follows a ridged line and applies to murder, drug trafficking, treason, and waging war against the King. There is no juvenile mercy in the country as juvenile justice is also subject to the gallows. Only pregnant women and young children are exempt from capital punishment. The judicial system in the country holds no distinction between “hard” drugs versus lighter drugs such as marijuana. One is subject to hanging for the seemingly lessor offense of selling small quantities of marijuana.
If convicted, [the condemned defendant] will have two automatic appeals which will last for about a year.
In November of this year the government has announced a decision to examine the [death penalty] issue, as it has failed to curb drug trafficking. Most drug trafficking arrests are small time, "little fish" in the drug trafficking pond, but subjected to the same harsh judgement and penalty. The hands of a judge are tied when imposing sentences, as they are mandatory.
Nora Murat, executive director of Amnesty International Malaysia, put it, "When a judge has decided on the guilt of the accused, he has only one punishment to give 'death.", further stating; "Mandatory death penalty removes the discretion of judges to consider external factors such as the accused's level of maturity and intelligence, life background, circumstances leading to the commission of the offense and other mitigating factors.".
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