A more just Malaysia begins with ending the death penalty — Suresraj Therambarajoo
Wednesday, 23 Jul 2025 9:17 AM MYT
JULY 23 — Minister Azalina Othman Said’s recent announcement on the formation of a task force to review Malaysia’s death penalty policy signals a moment of real possibility — a chance for our nation to reflect, to listen, and to lead.
For too long, the death penalty has been seen as a necessary instrument of justice — a symbol of deterrence, of moral reckoning.
But we know now, through the wisdom of experience and the clarity of data, that capital punishment does not bring back the lives lost. It does not heal broken families. And it does not make us safer.
What it does do is place a permanent, irrevocable judgment in the hands of a justice system that, however well-intentioned, is not immune to error.
We’ve seen this around the world — and we are not immune. No system designed by humans is infallible. And when the stakes are life and death, even one mistake is one too many.
The shift away from mandatory death sentencing in 2023 was a courageous first step.
Now, with this task force, we have the opportunity to complete the journey.
Abolishing the death penalty in its entirety would not be an act of weakness — it would be a show of strength. It would signal to the world that Malaysia believes in redemption. T
hat we are committed to justice that is restorative, not merely retributive.
There are alternatives that protect society while affirming human dignity: life imprisonment with the possibility of rehabilitation, sentencing reforms that prioritise proportionality and deterrence, and expanded support systems for victims and their families.
These approaches allow for accountability without surrendering our moral compass.
President Obama once said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
But it does not bend on its own. It bends because people choose to pull it in the right direction.
Minister Azalina has opened the door to that choice. Let us walk through it with courage and compassion.
hat we are committed to justice that is restorative, not merely retributive.
There are alternatives that protect society while affirming human dignity: life imprisonment with the possibility of rehabilitation, sentencing reforms that prioritise proportionality and deterrence, and expanded support systems for victims and their families.
These approaches allow for accountability without surrendering our moral compass.
President Obama once said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
But it does not bend on its own. It bends because people choose to pull it in the right direction.
Minister Azalina has opened the door to that choice. Let us walk through it with courage and compassion.
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