Abolish the death penalty — Proham
November 03, 2012
NOV 3 — Proham supports the government’s proposal to consider
abolishing the death penalty, not only in drug trafficking cases but in
all cases where the death penalty is meted out by the courts.
The arguments for the abolishment of the death penalty and calls for a
rethink holistically and practically are well articulated by Datuk Seri
Dr Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, the Malaysian Asean human rights
commissioner and member of Proham, in two recently published articles.
Proham recognises that society has a moral obligation to protect
human life and not to take it. As such the death penalty is the ultimate
irreversible denial of human rights. The death penalty is unjust.
By abolishing the death penalty it affirms our condemnation of
cruelty and affirms the value of human life. Various studies and
statistics have shown that the death penalty fails to rehabilitate. The
death penalty has failed as a deterrent and it does not discourage
crime.
In some jurisdictions conviction of the innocent has occurred and
hence it is not right to kill an innocent being. The psychological
effects of being on death row and waiting to die are a form of torture.
Life imprisonment without parole can be deterrent and can be more rehabilitative than the death penalty,
More than two-thirds of world states have abolished the death penalty and therefore Malaysia should join the ranks.
* Released on behalf of Proham by exco member Datuk Kuthubul
Zaman. Proham is a human rights association established by former
Suhakam and Police Commission members for the promotion of human rights.
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