ICDP hails Malaysian death penalty abolition

MANILA, Philippines — Former presidents Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Ruth Dreifuss of Switzerland led the delegation of International Commission against the Death Penalty (ICDP) to Malaysia to congratulate the Malaysian government for abolishing mandatory death penalty.

In a statement, ICDP said the two former leaders, both commissioners of ICDP, visited Kuala Lumpur on Sept. 13 and 14 to meet with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and other key officials.

They underscored that scrapping capital punishment was an “important step taken by Malaysia as an eminent member State of the Organization of Islamic Conference.”

“During the discussions, the delegation welcomed the legal amendments that granted judges discretionary power on death penalty cases, including reviewing death sentences previously issued,” the ICDP noted.

The group also welcomed other effects of the legal reforms, including the reduction of crimes punishable by death penalty and the limitation of life-long imprisonment.

Arroyo and Dreifuss were informed “about the possibility of future steps to reduce the scope of the death penalty, for which there was a recognition of continued moratorium of the death penalty,” the statement also read.

They also met with civil society organizations, including those leading the push for the abolition of the death penalty.