PUTRAJAYA, June 13 — The death penalty still exists in Malaysian law even though the government has, on June 8, decided to abolish the mandatory death penalty, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said.

He said the government had agreed to abolish the mandatory death penalty and substitute it with other sentences which are subject to the discretion of the court.

“The government, through the Cabinet meeting, has agreed in principle on June 8 to do away with the mandatory death penalty, but it is still being implemented at the court.

“The sentence is governed by existing laws (which have yet to be amended),” he told a press conference here today.

He said the mandatory death penalty refers to the provisions for criminal offences in which the convicted offender would be sentenced to death without exception as the judge has no other choice but to hand down the sentence for the offence, such as under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

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