THE special committee to study alternatives to the mandatory death sentence will comprise nine members, including former chief justice Richard Malanjum, Deputy Law Minister Mohamed Hanipa Maidin said.

Hanipa told the Dewan Rakyat today that the government had set up the special committee on August 29 to study the sentencing policy to replace capital punishment with one deemed appropriate by the court.

The special committee will comprise experts from the legal sector, such as the former chief justice, former senior federal counsel, law practitioners, law lecturers from public institutes and research experts.

The other eight members are former chief judge of Malaya Zaharah Ibrahim, Edmund Bon of the Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights, Andrew Khoo of the Bar Council, former solicitor-general Zauyah Be T. Loth Khan, former senior officer at the Prisons Department Thang Ah Yong, Suhakam commissioner Mah Weng Kwai, former University Malaya lecturer Dr Farah Nini Dusuki and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) criminologist P. Sundramoorthy.

Hanipa said while religious figures, such as state muftis and members of state Islamic departments were not included in the committee, they could air their views through various platforms that will be used to gather feedback from all quarters.

He said a holistic engagement process will include townhall sessions with parliamentarians according to zones, online public consultations, expert opinions, focus group discussions and meetings with convicts waiting to face the gallows and their family. – November 13, 2019.