World Day Against The Death Penalty (10/10/2026) Statement
MALAYSIA – State of Death Penalty
Malaysia has made progress in the abolition of the Mandatory Death Penalty, Commuting of the Death Sentence of many on death row, but more need to done in light of growing numbers on Death Row
On 10/10/2026, the World Day Against The Death Penalty, MADPET (Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture) ask Malaysia to expedite the abolition of the death penalty.
Malaysia had made progress towards the abolition of death penalty, and the last execution was in 2017, that means, Malaysia is on the verge of becoming "abolitionist in practice" (or de facto abolitionist) State, being countries that maintain the death penalty in their laws but have not carried out any executions for at least 10 years and have an established policy or practice against executing people. Malaysia has a moratorium on execution since 2018. The mandatory death penalty was abolished on July 2023.
One major dilemma for Malaysia is that there still remain persons on death row, and it is bound to increase with no legal solution in place today as that temporary law that allowed Federal Court to review and revise the death sentence to an alternative sentence may have lapsed.
Malaysian government is still conducting studies with a view towards abolition of the death penalty, and hopefully soon, we see a total abolition of the death penalty
EXECUTIONS in Malaysia
Malaysia has carried out approximately 469 executions since gaining independence in 1957.
There is no data on the number of executions carried out by the British Colonial government before independence, but there were a lot, as then colonial power tried to suppress the Malaysian people independence movement, and a very strong labour movement.
S.A. Ganapathy, a prominent labor leader and anti-colonial activist who led the 300,000-strong to 400,000-strong multi-racial labor federation, known as Pan-Malayan Federation of Trade Unions (PMFTU), which then represented about 60% of all workers, was hanged by British authorities on 4 May 1949. Ganapathy’s successor as leader of PMFTU, Veeraseenan, was shot dead by the British in Negeri Sembilan – an extrajudicial killing with NO Fair Trial.
When we talk about DEATH PENALTY, we should not simply confine ourself to those accorded a FAIR Trial, convicted, sentenced to death and hanged, BUT should also look at extrajudicial killing by the State and its officers.
NEW Death Penalty Laws – Post Independence
One example is the offence of drug trafficking, where the death penalty was introduced vide Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act 1975, which the prescribed the sentence of death or imprisonment for life.
However, vide Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act 1983, it became a mandatory death penalty offence. The alternative sentence of imprisonment was deleted.
Over 65% to 70% of inmates previously on death row were convicted of drug-related offenses under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. Out of the 469 total recorded executions in Malaysia since independence in 1957, nearly half, about 229 people were executed for drug trafficking.
The mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking ended on 15 March 2018 when the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act 2017 came into force, and the sentence thereafter was ‘…death or imprisonment for life and shall, if he is not sentenced to death, be punished with whipping of not less than fifteen strokes.’ The 2023 Act only reduced whipping to 12 strokes.
Thus, mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking ended before the 2023 Act abolished the mandatory death penalty for all other offences.
Malaysian Government backtracked from abolition of death penalty to just abolishing the mandatory death penalty
The Cabinet has decided that the death penalty for 33 offences under eight acts of law be abolished, and this includes Section 302 of the Penal Code (murder), said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong. He said the decision, which was reached collectively, also encompassed the Firearms (Heavier Penalties) Act 1971; Firearms Act 1960, Kidnapping Act 1961, Armed Forces Act 1972. Also in the list are the Water Services Industries Act 2006; Strategic Trade Act 2010 and Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. (Malay Mail, 13/11/2018)
However, this Pakatan Harapan government failed to take the needed step like tabling a Bill in Parliament, and was ousted on February 2020 during the political crisis often referred to as the Sheraton Move.
On 6/10/2022, the Perikatan Nasional government under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri tabled 7 Bills that would abolish the mandatory death penalty, and this was the first concrete action by the Malaysian government. Parliament was dissolved to make way for General Elections before the Bills could be debated and passed by Parliament.
This was important as it demonstrates now almost all Malaysian political parties, including those in the Opposition, wanted the abolition of the mandatory death penalty.
Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Act 2023
On 4 July 2023, mandatory capital punishment was abolished when the Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Act 2023 came into force, allowing judges to choose between either the death penalty or a jail term of 30 to 40 years and not less than 12 strokes of whipping for capital offences.
However, sadly what was abolished was just the Mandatory Death Penalty, and the death penalty remains for about 30 offences.
Time has come for Malaysia to consider the total abolition of death penalty – at least, as a first step, the death penalty ought to be reasonably removed for all crimes that did not directly cause death or grievous bodily harm to any victim.
It is good to note, that the current government in still in right track towards abolition of the death penalty. ‘The study on the complete abolition of the death penalty is expected to commence in January next year and will run for a period of four months, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran.’(NST, 13/11/2025). It has been more than 9 months since the study commenced, and we hope it will end with the abolition of the death penalty in Malaysia.
How did Malaysia deal with those who have exhausted all court appeal?
The Revision of Sentence of Death and Imprisonment for Natural Life (Temporary Jurisdiction of the Federal Court) Act 2023 which came into force on Sept 12, 2023, but the problem was that it was a temporary Act designed to deal with those then on death row, who had already exhausted all appeals. It did not consider all those who will thereafter end up on death row.
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. (Star, 21/11/2025)
Based on the data from the Prisons Department, a total of 97 individuals has been sentenced to death as at Nov 11, 2025, said Mr Kulasegaran [Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department]. This figure comprises 38 individuals awaiting appeal in the Court of Appeal, nine individuals awaiting appeal in the Federal Court and 50 individuals who have exhausted all levels of appeal and may submit a pardon application. (The Straits Times, 13/11/2025)
Now, the problem is that the Federal Court in exercising its powers under the Revision of Sentence of Death and Imprisonment for Natural Life (Temporary Jurisdiction of the Federal Court) Act 2023 did not commute the death sentence of all to the alternative sentence of imprisonment and whipping, and did in some cases retain the death sentence.
A total of 50 death sentences were upheld following the Federal Court's review process under the Death Penalty and Life Imprisonment Sentence Review (Federal Court's Temporary Jurisdiction) Act 2023…. "As of Dec 31, the Federal Court had approved 860 applications for the review of death penalty sentences. "Through this review process, 47 applications had their death penalty sentences upheld, while three applications were withdrawn by the applicants, bringing the total number of death penalty sentences that remained unchanged to 50," she said in a written parliamentary reply. (NST, 25/2/2025)
The Courts, after the abolition of the mandatory death penalty, still continues to sentence people to death. ‘The High Court in Taiping today sentenced a former military man and his friend to death for murdering a retired officer five years ago.’ FMT, 30/4/2026
This means that there are still people on death row, and that number will continue to grow in time.
For those, who have today exhausted all appeals, they now may have no more right to apply to the Federal Court pursuant to that Death Penalty and Life Imprisonment Sentence Review (Federal Court's Temporary Jurisdiction) Act 2023, which also required that ‘…any person who is sentenced to death may make an application in writing to the Federal Court within ninety days from the date of coming into operation of this Act.’ There was also a provision, that time limit could be extended, for the law said ‘(3) The Federal Court may extend the time specified under subsection (1) if it considers that there is a good reason for doing so.’ Will the Federal Court extend time limits and still review death sentences?
We need a NEW law, or the Death Penalty and Life Imprisonment Sentence Review (Federal Court's Temporary Jurisdiction) Act 2023 need to be amended to give it the power to still review death sentences.
Pardon – the other possibility to commute death sentences?
The Pardon Powers of the King and/or State Rulers can also commute death sentence to imprisonment. SADLY, we have not heard of many such Pardons by King/State Rulers that commuted the death sentence.
One instance, that we know of is the case of Mokhtar Hashim. Mokhtar Hashim, a former culture, youth and sports minister was convicted on April 14, 1982 for the murder of Datuk Mohamad Taha Talib, the then-speaker of Negri Sembilan legislative assembly. Mokhtar was sentenced to death on March 6, 1983 by the High Court. The following year, a Royal Pardon commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment. Seven years later, a 2nd Royal Pardon by the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong secured his freedom in 1991.
Recently, a media report disclosed that ‘Twenty-five prisoners whose death sentences were commuted by pardons boards have urged the Federal Court to revisit an earlier ruling and allow them to apply for sentence reviews under a 2023 sentencing reform law.’ (FMT, 3/8/2026).
Transparency demands that the Malaysian government discloses number of persons sentenced to death who had their sentences commuted to imprisonment by Pardons Board. Such information is important to make the public, including those on death row, aware of this possibility and use it.
DEATH ROW Numbers Will Increase and the Ability of Federal Court to Commute Death Sentence Is Over?
We know that as of Nov 11, 2025 the number on death row was 97, but we do not know how many are there today on death row – especially the number who had exhausted all appeals.
Now, that the Death Penalty and Life Imprisonment Sentence Review (Federal Court's Temporary Jurisdiction) Act 2023 may not be able to be used to deal with those still on death row, the Malaysian government ought to consider reviving this law and the powers of the Federal Court so that those under death sentence, who have exhausted all appeals, can still have an easy access to Court to get their death sentence commuted. That right to apply for a review of the death sentence could by law be permissible once every 3 or 5 years.
Other than this law, under Rule 137 of the Rules of the Federal Court 1995, the Federal Court has the inherent power to review its own previous decisions. However, the court applies this power very sparingly. It is strictly confined to preventing injustice or rectifying procedural abuse. To satisfy these conditions is very difficult.
Anwar Ibrahim tried and failed – ‘Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will have to serve out his remaining 16 months of his five-year jail sentence after the Federal Court dismissed his review application to set aside his sodomy conviction today… In a unanimous decision, a five-man panel chaired by Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin ruled that there was no merit in the application. “The court finds that there is no merit in this application and that this not a fit and proper case to be heard in this court," the judge said.’ (NST, 14/12/2016)
Thus, Rule 137 may not be a viable option. We need a law that will give Federal Court permanent, not temporary, jurisdiction to review death sentences, and the right to re-apply for subsequent reviews should be given every 3-5 years.
Alternatively, a law can be passed by Parliament commuting death sentence of all to imprisonment.
Malaysia Already Committed to Never Execute People Pending Abolition of The Death Penalty
It is CLEAR that Malaysia does not want to anymore hang people to death, and thus the increasing number on death row is a predicament.
Malaysia has voted in favor of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions calling for a moratorium on executions with a view toward the full abolition of the death penalty in 2018, 2020, 2022 and the last in December 2024. The 10th resolution (A/RES/79/179) was adopted on December 17, 2024, passing with a record-high 130 favorable votes, 32 against, and 22 abstentions. In 2024, a historic threshold with over two-thirds support was achieved with 130 member states in favor, 32 against, and 22 abstaining.
The 11th biennial United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling for a universal moratorium on the death penalty is scheduled for a vote in December 2026 during the 81st session, which we hope Malaysia will again vote in favour.
Thus, MADPET (Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture) calls on Malaysia to abolish the death penalty, and continue to impose a moratorium on executions pending abolition;
To deal with the ever-increasing numbers of persons on death row, MADPET calls on Malaysia to (a) enact a Federal Law that will commute all death sentences to imprisonment, OR amend the Death Penalty and Life Imprisonment Sentence Review (Federal Court's Temporary Jurisdiction) Act 2023 to enable the Federal Court to continue to be able to review death sentences;
MADPET also calls on the amendment of the alternative sentence to death, which now reads "imprisonment for a term of not less than thirty years but not exceeding forty years", whereby Judges do not have the discretion to impose lesser sentence of imprisonment based on the facts of the case. Trust Judges and restore judicial discretion so judges can also impose lesser prison sentences. Amend it to "which may extend to X years", which restores judicial discretion to impose a lower just sentence in appropriate cases.
MADPET also reiterates its call for the abolition of whipping, which in Malaysia whipping has already caused in one death, as per the call of the Malaysian Human Rights Commission(SUHAKAM) and many others;
MADPET urges Malaysia to continue to vote in favour of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution for a moratorium on execution pending abolition of the Death Penalty, that is now scheduled for December 2026;
MADPET also urges Malaysia to be more proactive to prevent Malaysians being executed in other jurisdictions. Seventy-four Malaysians have been sentenced to death abroad for drug trafficking offences as of early this month, according to Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. He said that these death sentences were carried out in Brunei, China, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam (NST, 17/10/2024).
Charles Hector
For and on behalf of MADPET(Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture)
Cabinet scraps death sentence for 33 offences
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — The Cabinet has decided that the death penalty for 33 offences under eight acts of law be abolished, and this includes Section 302 of the Penal Code (murder), said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong.
He said the decision, which was reached collectively, also encompassed the Firearms (Heavier Penalties) Act 1971; Firearms Act 1960, Kidnapping Act 1961, Armed Forces Act 1972.
Also in the list are the Water Services Industries Act 2006; Strategic Trade Act 2010 and Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
"Following the Cabinet decision, a Cabinet memorandum has been circulated to the relevant ministries for their comments and to get public feedback on it,” he said during the Question-and Answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was replying to a question from Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen (PH-Bandar Kuching) who wanted to know the government’s position on abolishing the death penalty, whether there will be exceptions for extremely cruel crimes,
Meanwhile, Liew also told the House that the bill on the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) was expected to be tabled at the next sitting of Parliament after all issues and polices were finalised.
He said follow-up meetings on the setting up of the IPCMC had agreed that it should be truly independent, effective and have the powers to tackle problems involving the police force.
"The framework takes into consideration powers that are more holistic and in line with existing laws and are currently in force,” he said when replying to a question from Maria Chin Abdullah (PH-Petaling Jaya).
Liew said the police’s rights would also be assured as enshrined in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.
In September, the government had announced the setting up of the IPCMC to replace the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC). — BernamaMalay Mail, 13/11/2018
49 still on death row, says Azalina
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.Star, 21/11/2025
Malaysian government to conduct in-depth study next year on abolishing death penalty
Malaysia's Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department M. Kulasegaran told Parliament the study is planned to run for four months.
PHOTO: BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR – The proposal for the total abolition of the death penalty will undergo a further detailed study from January 2026, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department M. Kulasegaran.
He said the government was in the process of establishing a Policy and Direction Review Working Group on the Death Penalty in Malaysia, which would collaborate with the Malaysian Law Reform Committee (CLRC).
“The study is expected to begin in January 2026 and is planned to run for a period of four months,” he said in Parliament in reply to a supplementary question from Mr Ram Karpal Singh (Pakatan Harapan-Bukit Gelugor) during question time on Nov 13.
“This period may be extended by the government if necessary to ensure that the study is comprehensive.”
Mr Singh had asked the government to state whether it has any plans for a total abolition of the death penalty aside from murder cases in the near future, and whether appropriate studies would be conducted for this purpose.
Mr Kulasegaran said the working group would include all stakeholders from those in the justice system, including representatives from the government, legal bodies, academic experts in criminal law, as well as non-governmental organisations.
“The main objective of this study is to ensure that any government decision regarding the status of the death penalty in the country is made based on solid justification through an evidence-based approach and after hearing the views and arguments of all relevant stakeholders,” he said.
According to the deputy minister, the study would include a doctrinal review of the death penalty.
It would include sessions with national and international criminal law experts, families of victims, families of death row inmates and other relevant stakeholders.
Based on the data from the Prisons Department, a total of 97 individuals have been sentenced to death as at Nov 11, 2025, said Mr Kulasegaran.
This figure comprises 38 individuals awaiting appeal in the Court of Appeal, nine individuals awaiting appeal in the Federal Court and 50 individuals who have exhausted all levels of appeal and may submit a pardon application. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK The Straits Times, 13/11/2025)
50 death sentences upheld under Federal Court's review process
KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 50 death sentences were upheld following the Federal Court's review process under the Death Penalty and Life Imprisonment Sentence Review (Federal Court's Temporary Jurisdiction) Act 2023.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said that of these, 47 applications had their death penalty sentences upheld, while three applications were withdrawn by the applicants.
She added that all applications for sentence reviews had been resolved as of Oct 29, 2024.
"According to statistics provided by the Office of the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court, the Federal Court Registrar's Office has received a total of 1,056 applications for the review of death penalty and life imprisonment sentences.
"As of Dec 31, the Federal Court had approved 860 applications for the review of death penalty sentences.
"Through this review process, 47 applications had their death penalty sentences upheld, while three applications were withdrawn by the applicants, bringing the total number of death penalty sentences that remained unchanged to 50," she said in a written parliamentary reply.
Azalina also noted that 22 applications were administratively cancelled, and four applications were cancelled because the applicants had passed away after filing their applications.
Meanwhile, for life imprisonment sentence reviews, 120 applications were submitted, and all were approved by the Federal Court.
Azalina was responding to a question from Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka), who asked about the number of death penalty or life imprisonment sentence reviews approved following the enforcement of the Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Act 2023.
The Death Penalty and Life Imprisonment Sentence Review (Federal Court's Temporary Jurisdiction) Act 2023 came into effect on Sept 12, 2023.
The act was introduced following Malaysia's decision to abolish the mandatory death penalty, allowing judges the discretion to impose alternative sentences in cases where the death penalty was previously mandatory.NST, 25/2/2025
Ex-military officer, friend sentenced to death for killing retiree
High Court says the retired military officer’s killing was premeditated, stemming from an alleged marital affair with one of the accused’s ex-wife.
Justice Noor Ruwena Nurdin handed down the death sentence on ex-officer Hafidz Ibrahim and former trader Ahmad Yusoff after finding them guilty of killing Zaki Aluwee in a forest area at Jalan Kubu Gajah–Lenggong on Oct 10, 2021.
She said the court imposed the death penalty due to the gravity of the offence, noting that they had planned to murder Zaki over an alleged marital affair
During the trial, the court heard that Hafidz suspected his ex-wife had cheated on him with Zaki, and went to the victim’s house on Oct 10.
CCTV recordings showed Hafidz and Zaki arguing outside the latter’s house before Ahmad tried to break up the fight.
Another of Hafidz’s friends and an eyewitness, Amran Sarit, testified that he saw Zaki handcuffed and with facial injuries when Hafidz drove him to Amran’s house.
The court heard Hafidz told Amran that Zaki was the man with whom his wife allegedly had an affair. Amran told the court he was frightened after seeing what had happened to Zaki.
Forensic pathologist Dr N Murali testified that Zaki died of multiple stab wounds to the chest and abdomen. Ahmad had led police to the area where the body was found.
In his defence, Hafidz claimed that Zaki, when confronted, tried to attack him, and denied murdering him. Meanwhile, Ahmad said he tried to defuse the fight between the two men.
However, Ruwena said both men failed to raise a reasonable doubt on the prosecution’s case.
“Amran saw that the deceased was restrained with handcuffs and was frightened by what he saw. It was as if he had a foreboding feeling that something bad would happen to the deceased,” she said.
She also said Hafidz, who had a history of domestic violence against his ex-wife, showed no remorse for his actions, while Ahmad did not stop his friend from committing the crime. FMT, 30/4/2026
25 prisoners seek Federal Court review of commuted death sentences
They urge the apex court to depart from a recent ruling, arguing their exclusion from the 2023 sentence review law violates their right to equality.
Lawyer Abdul Rashid Ismail, representing the prisoners, urged a three-member bench comprising Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Azizah Nawawi, Justices Rhodzariah Bujang and Azmi Ariffin, to depart from last November’s decision by the apex court.
Last year, a five-member bench held that the Federal Court had no jurisdiction to review sentences of prisoners whose death sentences had already been commuted through clemency.
Rashid argued the ruling wrongly assumed that affected prisoners had an alternative remedy through the pardons boards.
He said it also did not consider the 2007 Federal Court decision, where a sentence review was considered despite the applicant having received a pardon.
Rashid said the applicant, Sulaiman Saidin, was arrested for drug trafficking in 1996 and sentenced to death but had his punishment commuted by the Perak Pardons Board in 2015 to 20 years’ imprisonment.
He said the term was calculated from the commutation date, meaning he would face about 39 years in prison after nearly two decades in custody.
Rashid went on to argue that the Federal Court’s November decision created two classes of prisoners: those denied clemency could seek review under the Revision of Sentence of Death and Imprisonment for Natural Life (Temporary Jurisdiction of the Federal Court) Act 2023, while those granted mercy were denied access to the courts.
“The person treated more harshly by the executive receives better access to the judiciary, while the person who received mercy is denied judicial recourse,” he said.
Rashid stressed that the applications did not challenge the pardons themselves but sought sentence reviews under a separate statutory scheme.
Deputy public prosecutor Yusaini Amer Abdul Karim urged the court to follow the Federal Court’s decision in November, stating that the apex court had already ruled it lacked jurisdiction over such applications.
Of the 25 applicants, 22 were convicted of drug trafficking while three were convicted of murder.
Khaizan Sharizad Ab Razak, Siti Nurani Zahidi and YL Yong also appeared for the applicants, while deputy public prosecutors Zain Ibrahim, Solehah Noratikah Ismail and P Sarulatha appeared with Yusaini.
The bench has reserved judgment.FMT, 3/8/2026).
Anwar to serve out jail sentence for sodomy, court rules
PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will have to serve out his remaining 16 months of his five-year jail sentence after the Federal Court dismissed his review application to set aside his sodomy conviction today.
In a unanimous decision, a five-man panel chaired by Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin ruled that there was no merit in the application.
"The court finds that there is no merit in this application and that this not a fit and proper case to be heard in this court," the judge said.
In his review application, Anwar is seeking the court to invoke Rule 137 of the Rules of the Federal Court 1995 and review the decision of the previous five-member panel of the Federal Court, led by Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria.
Alternatively, he wants the Federal Court to re-hear his appeal on its merits.
Following the decision today, Anwar who has now served a year and 10 months in jail will have to complete his five-year jail term.
Anwar, 68, filed the review application on April 30 last year after the Federal Court on Feb 10 last year affirmed his guilt for sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 31.
The others presiding were Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum, Federal Court judges, Tan Sri Hasan Lah, Tan Sri Abu Samah Nordin and Tan Sri Zaharah Ibrahim.NST, 14/12/2016
74 Malaysians sentenced to death abroad for drug trafficking
KUALA LUMPUR: Seventy-four Malaysians have been sentenced to death abroad for drug trafficking offences as of early this month, according to Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
He said that these death sentences were carried out in Brunei, China, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
He added that the government is committed to monitoring consular cases involving Malaysians overseas.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through Malaysia's diplomatic missions abroad, ensures the welfare of death row inmates by attending their trials as 'watching briefs' or by conducting regular consular visits to detention centres in line with the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations."
"For Malaysian citizens sentenced to death within the country, the matter does not fall under the purview of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and should be referred to the relevant ministries or agencies," he said in a written response to Datuk Muhammad Baktiar Wan Chik (PH-Balik Pulau) in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Elaborating further, Mohamad said Malaysia's diplomatic missions abroad can provide a list of law firms to the individuals and their families as a reference to assist in securing legal services for their trials and appeals.
"Any individual found guilty and sentenced to death may submit an appeal or request for clemency, provided such appeals or clemency are permitted under the judicial system of the respective foreign country."
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through Malaysia's diplomatic missions abroad, will also ensure that Malaysian detainees have access to appropriate avenues for appeal and clemency," he added.
He explained that in accordance with Malaysia's Foreign Policy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Malaysia's diplomatic missions abroad cannot interfere in the legal matters of a foreign country and must respect the laws of the host country, just as other nations respect Malaysia's legal system.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs always advises Malaysians who are abroad or planning to travel overseas to be vigilant and to understand the laws and regulations of the countries they are visiting to avoid becoming entangled in unwanted situations," he said.(NST, 17/10/2024
