Media Statement – 16/1/2016
MADPET calls on the ruler of the State of Selangor to commute the Death Sentence
of Azilah Hadri
MADPET (Malaysians Against Death
Penalty and Torture) prays that the sentence of death row Azilah Hadri, who was
convicted for the murder of Altantuya Shaaribu be commuted.
It was recently reported that former
special action force officer Azilah Hadri has filed a petition to the Selangor
Sultan, being the ruler of the State of Selangor, seeking a royal pardon over
his conviction for murder the Mongolian translator (Star, 15/1/2016). In
Malaysia, conviction for murder carries the mandatory death penalty.
Article 42(1) of the Malaysian
Federal Constitution provides that: ‘The Yang di-Pertuan Agong has power to
grant pardons, reprieves and respites in respect of all offences which have
been tried by court-martial and all offences committed in the Federal
Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya; and the Ruler or Yang
di-Pertua Negeri of a State has power to grant pardons, reprieves and respites
in respect of all other offences committed in his State.
In a reply to a Parliamentary
question by Member of Parliament Kulasegaran (DAP Ipoh), dated 3/11/2015, it was disclosed that since 1998 until
6/10/2015, 127 death row prisoners have had their sentence commuted. As of
6/10/2015, there still remain about 1,022 persons on death row.
In Thailand, Royal Pardon has resulted
in about 90 percent or more persons sentenced to death having their sentence
commuted to imprisonment.
On 18/12/2014, the United Nations
General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a Resolution to establish a moratorium on
executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty. This is the fifth time
this resolution has been tabled since the first in 2007. 117 member states
voted in favour of the 2014 resolution, indicating the continuing growing
global support for the abolition of the death penalty.
As such, taking also into
consideration the various arguments for the abolition of the death penalty
including that any miscarriage or failure of justice in the implementation of
the death penalty is irreversible and irreparable, MADPET calls upon the HRH the
Sultan of Selangor to exercise his power to commute the death sentence faced by
Azilah Hadri into one of imprisonment.
MADPET reiterates its call on
Malaysia to abolish the death penalty.
MADPET also calls for a
moratorium on all executions pending abolition.
Charles Hector
For and on behalf of
MADPET (Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture)
See related post, that also carries the Star Report referred to in the statement:-
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