TTF: I am busy with some other matters at the moment and will have something to say about capital punishment soon (see news item below).
For the moment, I’d like you to know, that the real reason the punishment has been put under the microscope has something to do with a deal that was entered by Mahathir’s men with a former police officer who is currently on the death row for the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.
On Saturday, the 10th of November 2018, I wrote:
TTF is made to understand that the abolishment of the death penalty by the Government of Malaysia (GoM) was considered following a discussion that took place between someone associated with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and former police Special Action Force officer Azilah Hadri.
While it is uncertain at this point in time if Tun himself spoke to Azilah, several people who claim to be in the know seem dead sure that the Prime Minister himself negotiated a deal with Azilah, promising the latter that he would be spared the gallows should certain conditions be met.
Azilah Hadri, who is on the death row for the murder of a Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu, has been waiting for more than two years for a hearing on his plea for clemency.
Earlier today, Mahathir announced that the GoM is still studying the views of family members of several high profile murder cases that the death penalty should not be abolished as it prevents serious crimes.
It has since been brought to TTF’s attention that the deal has something to do with an agreement on Azilah’s part to finger certain parties in relation to the muder of the Mongolian model.
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail today said the government is still considering whether to abolish the death penalty or retain it.
The deputy prime minister said on one hand, the government wanted to prevent innocent people from being wrongly sentenced to death.
She also said there were calls to abolish the death penalty as it was not seen as an effective deterrent to crime.
“However, there are people who commit the most unthinkable and heinous crimes.
“That is why the mandatory death penalty was put in place to curb this problem,” she said during a press conference after launching the Program Astro Junior Championships U15 at Stadium Juara here today.
She was asked to respond to calls by members of the public and non-governmental organisations to retain the death penalty following the tragic death of a nine-month-old baby girl, who died due to the alleged inhumane acts of a male suspect on Thursday in Bandar Baru Bangi.
The victim was believed to have been raped, sodomised and abused before falling into critical condition.
Netizens had urged the government to reconsider its intention to abolish the death sentence to deal with such cases.
Last week, the girl’s parents said the abolishment of the death penalty was not only unjust but would also lead to an increase in the number of serious crimes.
Dr Wan Azizah said the government was looking at measures taken by other countries that had abolished the death penalty, including Australia.
She added that the government remained committed to ensuring that the death penalty would not result in wrongful executions or a miscarriage of justice.
Yesterday (Sunday), DAP lawmaker Ramkarpal Singh changed his stance on ending the death penalty following the death of the nine-month-old girl.
He had said the discretion should be given to courts to impose the death penalty in the most heinous of crimes.
In October, the cabinet agreed to abolish the death penalty and halt all pending executions.
Source: NST Online
