Various countries have gotten rid of the death penalty and found other ways to punish criminals. In Malaysia, the parliament has made the initial move towards getting rid of the mandatory death penalty. It has also passed major changes to the law that will reduce the number of crimes that are punishable by death and get rid of sentences of “natural life” in prison.

Some people have said that they are worried about the move. They think that if the noose is not used, more terrible crimes will be committed. Families who have lost loved ones to brutal murders, rapes, or slayings want the killers to be put to death. They believe that justice should be the same as the crime, or “an eye for an eye.”

But does killing someone bring a loved one back to life?

When the state gives a person the death penalty, it has to think about a lot of things before doing so. Judges sometimes take years to decide on a case before making a final decision. It’s not an easy choice to make. Even for the worst crimes, taking someone’s life is a complicated process.

The mandatory death sentence in our penal code means that a judge can’t decide how to punish someone. For starters, a motion has been put forward in Parliament to get rid of the word “mandatory” from death sentences for drug-related crimes. Activists are happy that the word “mandatory” is being taken out of the death penalty.

In Malaysia, murder, certain gun crimes, kidnapping, drug trafficking, and treason can all lead to the death penalty. With this motion, the judge will be able to decide whether to send a convict to jail or to the death row, depending on how bad the crime was.

The way the law works now, drug mules get the death penalty. But those involving boys and girls should get community service instead. Drug lords and cartels should be the only ones who get the death penalty. Hopefully, in the future, mandatory death sentences for crimes that aren’t related to drugs will also be left up to the judge’s decision.

There are more than 1,000 people in our prisons who are waiting to be executed. Because the cases are still being appealed, the sentences have not been carried out. Let’s think about what the punishment is supposed to do as a whole, which is to restore (reform), punish, and warn. If there is a mistake in the justice system, the punishment can’t be changed. Because of this, the death sentence is cruel.

Infor source – The Sun Daily