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Public forum on the abolition of the death penalty

Friday, 07 October 2011 08:27am

©The Sun Daily (Used by permission)
by Michelle Chun

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 6, 2011): A public forum promoting the abolishing of the death penalty will be held on Oct 13 as part of efforts to create awareness among Malaysians as well as better understand public opinion on the issue.

Organised by the Malaysian Bar Council, European Union (EU) Delegation to Malaysia and the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), the talk will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Malaysian Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee said the forum will objectively discuss three aspects of the death penalty, namely the morality, legality and practical aspect of such a punishment.

“We want to reach the public to push for the abolition of the death penalty, as the little empirical evidence we have at present does not show the death penalty serving as an effective deterrent to the committing of crimes,” he said at a joint press conference here today.

Meanwhile, ambassador and head of the EU delegation to Malaysia, Vincent Piket, said the through the talk the organisers hope to create a platform that will gauge the opinions of the Malaysian public on this issue.

“The EU holds a very principled position on the death penalty, mainly due to its irreversibility and the possibility of a miscarriage of justice that cannot be undone,” he said, adding that Malaysia is one of 58 countries that still practise capital punishment.

Suhakam commissioner Prof Datuk Dr. Khaw Lake Tee said the commission has always viewed with great concern the presence of the death penalty in Malaysia.

“The commission maintains that the death penalty is a violation of human rights, especially the right to life, and calls on the government to consider a moratorium of the death sentence for the time being,” she said, acknowledging that changing the law would take time.

Piket said the forum was organised in conjunction with World Abolition of Death Penalty Day, celebrated annually on Oct 10, and follows positive signs from the government toward the removal of the punishment.

He was referring to minister in the prime minister’s department Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz’s setting up of an informal parliamentary bi-partisan group that adopted a resolution towards the abolition of the death penalty and an immediate moratorium (temporary prohibition) of the death sentence.

“We recognise this is not something that can happen overnight, but we are hopeful that one day soon Malaysia will join the list of countries that have abolished the death penalty,” Piket said.

The speakers at the forum include Attorney-General Tan Sri Adbul Gani Patail, Lord Alf Dubs of the United Kingdom’s House of Lords All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Abolition of the Death Penalty and Nico Tujin, Court of Appeals Deputy Chief Justice from Hertongenbosch, the Netherlands.

Members of the public interested to attend may register at delegation-malaysia-events@eeas.europa.eu or call 032723 7373.

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