A TOTAL of 840 death row inmates will escape the gallows when a new law is created to do away with mandatory death sentences, said Ramkarpal Singh.
“The government is considering a new law, which will be temporary, that will directly impact 840 inmates under the moratorium on the death penalty.
“They are among the 1,320 inmates on death row. The remaining 420 inmates will have to undergo the normal process of appeal,” he said when replying to Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal (Warisan-Semprona).
Ramkarpal, the deputy minister in charge of law and institutional reforms, said the proposed new law was being considered in light of proposed amendments to do away with mandatory death sentences.
He said the amendments would cover five separate laws: the Penal Code, Kidnapping Act, Arms Act, Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act, and the Dangerous Drugs Act.
He added that the amendments would cover 11 crimes that impose the mandatory death sentence and seven for which the penalty is at the court’s discretion.
The government, he said, had no plans to abolish the death penalty at this time.
Jimmy Puah Wee Tse (PH-Tebrau) had asked if this was being considered and what the alternative punishments were for those who would be spared the gallows.
Ramkarpal said a more in-depth study was being done on alternative punishments for those spared the death sentence.
Datuk Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh (PN-Besut) suggested those spared the death sentence should be jailed for life.
Ramkarpal noted that the proposed amendments aim to abolish the mandatory death sentences but still give the courts the discretion to impose the penalty.