IT may be difficult for families of murder victims to accept the sudden loss of a loved one but that was the road taken by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Liew Vui Keong and his family following the murder of his cousin almost 40 years ago.

In a forum titled, “The Death Penalty Conference: Considering Perspectives”, Liew shared a personal story of his 17-year-old cousin who was murdered in Sabah. Liew, who was also 17 then, was studying in the United Kingdom and received a letter from his family three days after the murder took place.

“The body was found in a river, mutilated, and he was only 17-years old,” Liew told the forum.

“When I received the news, I had the same feeling felt by the families of murder victims… anger, sadness and emptiness,” he said in his keynote address at the conference held in Monash University, Subang Jaya, today.

Liew said his family still does not know who was the murderer even after four decades, yet they have chosen to move on.

“Despite what we went through, the process of forgiveness must take place.

“It is not easy especially for affected family members but it is also important for those who have been convicted to hang to be given the chance to save their lives, despite having to spend it inside a cell,” he said.

Liew shared this story to appease families of victims who were against the government’s move to abolish the death penalty. They had questioned why should the murderers be fed and taken care of while in prison.

Liew spoke to about 30 students who attended the conference organised by The Malaysian Coalition Against the Death Penalty (MCADP) today. Also present was Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok.

He said he had met some family members of murdered victims and explained to them the process that the offenders have to go through once they are suspected and then found guilty of the murder.

The family members demanded answers for the murders but most also had no objections when they learnt that the murderers would face lengthy jail sentences.

“I have explained to them, some said they are okay to let them (murderers) rot in there (jail), some of the families accepted that as they just wanted closure and to move on.”

Liew said the decision to abolish the death penalty was a collective decision of the cabinet. The bill on the abolishment of the death penalty is expected to be tabled in the next Parliament sitting, which will convene on March 11.

A moratorium on all executions has also been imposed.

When it was first announced, rights activists celebrated the move. Among them were former Malaysian Bar president Ambiga Sreenevasan, human rights lawyer Eric Paulsen and lawyer and activist Siti Kassim.

However, some Malaysians were also against it, expressing fear that more crimes will be committed once the death penalty is scrapped.

A coalition of Muslim groups, Gerakan Pembela Ummah, had also demanded that Putrajaya repeal the moratorium on the death penalty so that it could be used against the murderers of fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim.

Adib, from the Subang Jaya fire station, was allegedly beaten up by rioters at the Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Seafield on November 27 after he was dragged out of a vehicle.

Liew added that he also explained to families that the death penalty is an “easy way out” for murderers.

“We have to talk about restorative justice and second chances because we don’t want to be in the same level as the murderer because if you support killing, you are also a murderer,” the de facto law minister added. – January 11, 2019.