MALAYSIA: 860 PRISONERS UNDER DEATH SENTENCE

March 26, 2012: In Malaysia, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein told the Parliament that a total of 860 prisoners have been sentenced to death for various offences such as murder, drug trafficking, firearms offences and kidnapping up to 28 February 2012.
However, he said the sentences could not be carried out yet as the cases were still going through the appeal process. "Out of the number, 616 cases are still with the Appeals Court, 94 with the Federal Court and 150 with the Pardons Board," he said in his written reply to Representative Liew Chin Tong.
There are more 449 foreigners held on remand while awaiting trial for offences which carry the mandatory death sentence, if convicted. Home Minister said of the number, 396 were charged with drug trafficking, 28 for murder, 18 for kidnapping and the seven others for firearms offences.
In a press conference later at the Parliament lobby, Liew said the number of people sentenced to death has increased from the figure in February 2011. Comparing to a written reply he received, he said as of 22 February 2011, 441 executions have taken place between 1960 and 2011 while 696 people were sentenced to death.
The last execution to take place in Malaysia was in 2010 for murder. (Sources: Bernama, thesundaily.my, 26/03/2012)