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AS scathing criticism is heaped upon Singapore for executing offenders over drug possession, let’s not forget that Malaysia has yet to fully abolish its death penalty.
Before mocking Singapore for its laws, Malaysians must first rethink their lack of appetite towards the full abolition of the death penalty and lack of political will among lawmakers to vigorously amend the law to reflect progressive sentencing.
After all, Singapore sees the death penalty as a deterrent against drug trafficking.
As for Malaysia, a 10-year-old survey by UK-based Death Penalty Project and the local civil society groups found that most of the 1,535 respondents supported either a mandatory or a discretionary death penalty – for murder (91%), one of the five drugs trafficking offences (74% to 80%), and for the firearms offences (83%).
At least 1,281 individuals are on death row in Malaysia, of which 73% are convicted over various drug related offences.
One might argue that the survey size is too small, or times have changed since 2012. But what remains is the dearth of effort to address the root causes that see those with disadvantaged backgrounds resorting to being drug mules, knowingly or not.
If Malaysians are serious about the abolition of the death penalty, we should be more forceful in demanding that our elected representatives work swiftly towards abolishing the death penalty, instead of just instituting a moratorium.
Having a moratorium without a deadline in sight does not benefit those on death row. Imagine having to spend years behind bars in limbo with the proverbial sword hanging over your head, not knowing when it will drop.
We also should not equate the support of a “lesser” sentence, such as commuting the death penalty to life imprisonment, to condonement of a certain crime – they are not mutually exclusive.
More importantly, the Malaysian government should put in ample resources to address gaps in its social welfare net, and to uplift the truly underprivileged regardless of race and religion. Is this the result of protectionist policies? Or is this the ultimate price to pay for slipping through the cracks?
Lawmakers must already realise that their “aye” and “nay” in Parliament are not just for the sake of political expediency. There is a human cost to it.
Ultimately, their vote in Parliament matters more than their indignation and criticism posted on social media, only for them to move on to the next shiny subject until the next hanging – which is two days from now. – The Vibes, April 27, 2022
Khaw Chia Hui is chief news editor at The Vibes
