Abolish the death penalty — Proham

Abolish the death penalty — Proham

November 03, 2012

NOV 3 — Proham supports the government’s proposal to consider abolishing the death penalty, not only in drug trafficking cases but in all cases where the death penalty is meted out by the courts.

 

The arguments for the abolishment of the death penalty and calls for a rethink holistically and practically are well articulated by Datuk Seri Dr Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, the Malaysian Asean human rights commissioner and member of Proham, in two recently published articles.

Proham recognises that society has a moral obligation to protect human life and not to take it. As such the death penalty is the ultimate irreversible denial of human rights. The death penalty is unjust.

By abolishing the death penalty it affirms our condemnation of cruelty and affirms the value of human life. Various studies and statistics have shown that the death penalty fails to rehabilitate. The death penalty has failed as a deterrent and it does not discourage crime.

In some jurisdictions conviction of the innocent has occurred and hence it is not right to kill an innocent being. The psychological effects of being on death row and waiting to die are a form of torture.

Life imprisonment without parole can be deterrent and can be more rehabilitative than the death penalty,

More than two-thirds of world states have abolished the death penalty and therefore Malaysia should join the ranks.

* Released on behalf of Proham by exco member Datuk Kuthubul Zaman. Proham is a human rights association established by former Suhakam and Police Commission members for the promotion of human rights.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider. - Malaysian Insider, 3/11/2012, Abolish the death penalty — Proham