©The Star (Used by permission)
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Bar has urged the Government to take the lead in abolishing the death penalty and replacing it with life imprisonment.
Bar president Lim Chee Wee said records had shown that the death penalty had not reduced the number of drug trafficking offences, which is punishable by death.
“The numbers have not gone down. They have instead increased. This shows that the death penalty has a zero deterrent effect. So why should we still keep it (the death penalty) in our statute books?” he said.
Lim said while the Attorney–General wanted the public to come up stronger with their stand on the matter, such important human rights issues should be addressed by the Prime Minister.
“We want the Government to take the lead and put an immediate moratorium on the death penalty. Laws pertaining to the punishment should also be repealed,” Lim told reporters after the Bar's 66th annual general meeting (AGM) here yesterday.
He said the resolution to do away with the death penalty was unanimously passed at the meeting, which was attended by a quorum of 877 members.
During the AGM, the Bar also passed a resolution to implement a mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme, which will be conducted for a trial period of two years.
It unanimously passed another resolution to urge the Government to repeal the amendments to the Employment Act 1955 to maintain a just employment relationship.
On Article 121 (1) of the Federal Constitution on the federation's judicial power, Lim said the Bar was of the view that the amendments to the law in 1988 had “tampered with the balance of power of the three arms of Government”.
“We have written to the Attorney–General on this and he was receptive to the idea,” he said.
On the imam who was cited for contempt for throwing his slippers at Federal Court judges, Lim said although the action of the imam was not condoned, the one–year jail sentence handed down to him was too harsh.
“Members of the Bar also questioned whether it was appropriate for the same panel to hear the contempt proceedings,” he added.
Lim said the Bar Council would also look into concerns regarding a RM2.2bil highway contract awarded to people linked to a retired Chief Justice during its next meeting on April 7.