THE death penalty will be abolished for all criminal offences which currently provide for the capital punishment, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Liew Vui Keong said today.

The government could not do things halfway, he added, acknowledging dissenting views to Putrajaya’s proposal.

Liew told reporters that he understood that there will be opposition to the move, especially from the families of victims of convicted criminals on death row but said the government would be firm on its decision.

“I know it is very painful. (But) we cannot do this without going all the way. We can’t abolish for one criminal offence and not for another,” he said at a press conference in the Parliament lobby.

There are 18 criminal offences that carry the death penalty that include waging war against the King, terrorism, murder, drug trafficking, murder of a victim of kidnapping, possessing and using firearms, rape resulting in death and rape of children.

Liew was responding to news reports on opposition to removing the death penalty by the next of kin to a family of three who was killed in a knife attack at their store in Wakaf Mek Zainab, Kelantan last year.

Liew last week said the second parliamentary sitting of the current term which began today, would see the tabling of bills to abolish the death penalty and amendments to laws that provide for it.

Yesterday he was reported saying that the death penalty will be replaced with minimum term of 30 years’ imprisonment.

The issue gained traction following public support for 29-year-old father of one, Muhammad Lukman, who is on death row for distributing cannabis oil for medicinal purposes.

The cabinet subsequently agreed that his death sentence handed down by the Shah Alam High Court should be suspended. – October 15, 2018.