MALAYSIA will try to save Michael Garing as many believe the death penalty is excessive, said Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“We hope other countries (Singapore) feel the same way.

“For instance, Australia will not return a convicted offender (Sirul Azhar Umar) because there is the death penalty here,” the prime minister told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

De facto law minister Liew Vui Keong said the government will appeal to the Singapore president to commute Michael’s death sentence, which is due to be carried out on Friday.

“We will continue to send our representation and protest on this issue as we have done before,” said Liew yesterday.

Sirul, a former bodyguard of Najib Razak who was sentenced to death in 2015 for the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu, is currently in Australia under a political asylum. Australia has declined to deport Sirul on account of Malaysia’s capital punishment system.

Meanwhile, Malaysia will stop buying European products if the European Union persists in banning the import of palm oil from Malaysia, said Dr Mahathir.

“I believe we will stop buying European products. This is the one thing we can do,” said the 93-year-old. – March 20, 2019.