KUALA LUMPUR: 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.
He told the Dewan Rakyat that the study period, however, may be extended by the government if necessary to ensure that the findings are comprehensive.
“The government is of the view that this matter requires further study,” he said during the question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said this in response to a supplementary question from Ramkarpal Singh (PH–Bukit Gelugor), who enquired about plans for the total abolition of the death penalty, aside from murder cases, in the near future.
Meanwhile, on the current statistics of death row inmates, he said that as of Nov 11, there were 97 individuals who had been sentenced to death.
“Out of the total, 38 individuals are awaiting appeal at the Court of Appeal, nine are waiting for their cases to be heard at the Federal Court, while 50 have exhausted all avenues of appeal and may submit petitions for pardon,” he said.
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