Expats often note the fact that Asians seem to be far more supportive of the death penalty than most Westerners, who tend to feel it is too extreme. A survey by Professor Emeritus Robin Hood revealed that indeed the majority of Malaysian favoured the death penalty for murder and drug offences. However, when asked to express their view on specific incidents which would incur capital punishment, the number of supporting the death penalty for the particular offence fell dramatically. He concluded that Malaysians would like judges to have some discretion when imposing the death penalty. This would be in line with Singapore’s recent change in the law which now imposes imprisonment and caning as opposed to death for some drug offences.

It seems most people favoured execution as revenge for the act, rather than as a deterrent for other people. The survey also concluded that if there was evidence of innocent people being executed, then support for the death penalty would fall further. Recent discoveries in Western countries of innocent people being executed has certainly turned some people off the death penalty, but that kind of investigation or disclosure seems less common in Asia so is not a factor in changing people’s view on the subject.

Given that Singapore recently changed the law so that the death penalty is no longer mandatory for all drug offences, we hope that Malaysia will consider similar changes which will allow judges to consider mitigating factors.

Read more: Proposal to Abolish Death Sentence for Drug Offenders