New York/The Hague
On 10 October, which marks World Day against the Death Penalty, Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), the largest network of individual legislators, wishes to celebrate the efforts of its members throughout the world to stand against capital punishment.
PGA wishes to particularly applaud the relentless work of its Malaysian Members, whose unwavering commitment succeeded in removing the mandatory death penalty for drug related offences in 2017. On this highly symbolic day, the Minister of Law in the Prime Minister’s Office, Datuk Liew Vui Keong, publicly announced that the Cabinet intended on introducing an abolition bill to Parliament during the upcoming session opening on 15 October: “All death penalty will be abolished. Full stop.”
This encouraging and positive statement from Malaysia is a formidable example to all PGA Members that their often-difficult actions can yield concrete and much anticipated changes for their constituents and contribute to developing and strengthening an international movement rejecting the idea that taking the life of another human being can constitute justice.
PGA Members from Africa, South America, Asia and Europe have all showed their deep attachment to the right to life and an ideal of justice that rejects revenge. West and Central African parliamentarians gathered to discuss the issue warmly congratulated Burkina Faso for having abolished the death penalty on 31 May 2018.
PGA Members in Sri Lanka, where a moratorium on executions dating back to 1976 was recently threatened, adopted a resolution reiterating their strong opposition to capital punishment. In the Philippines, a few Senators have stood firmly against the government’s efforts to reintroduce the death penalty into law and have so far managed to block such bills. Throughout the world, PGA Members are using their legislative prerogatives and their position as opinion leaders to promote human rights and a fair justice system.
Malaysia is going to live by example, as we are striving to champion for the protection of all human rights and to defend democratic principles in all segments of social life. In our vision of society, there is no place for death imposed by the State. Hon. (Mr.) Kula Segaran, MP, Minister for Human Resources; Member of the Dewan Rakyat, Chairman of PGA’s National Group, Member of PGA’s Executive Committee and Co-Convenor of PGA’s International Law and Human Rights Program
We must work hand in hand to get rid of the colonial remnant that is capital punishment and develop regional norms to safeguard human rights. Hon. (Ms.) Reine Benao Sakandé, Member of the National Assembly of Burkina Faso, Coordinator of the Network of Parliamentarians for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child, Member of the ECOWAS Parliamentary Assembly, Chairwoman of the Gender, Promotion of Women and Social Protection Committee, and PGA Member
Today’s decision to abolish the death penalty by the Malaysian Government is in line with the policy of a majority of States, which believe in the Rule of Law, human rights and democracy. A modern system of penalties must be aimed at correcting wrongs, preventing re-occurrence of crimes and repairing victims, not at imposing an irremediable and revengeful sanction like execution. Dr. David Donat-Cattin, Secretary-General of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA)
PGA marked this 16th World Day against the Death Penalty by organising, in partnership with Justice Project Pakistan, a screening and discussion in the European Parliament about the issue of capital punishment, which gained in importance since the resumption of executions in 2014 when Pakistan ended a 6 years-old moratorium. PGA Members in the European Parliament reaffirmed their intent to use their mandate to oppose death penalty, both in retentionist countries such as Pakistan and in countries where populist discourse can often threaten of a resurgence of this now-abolished punishment.
On 30-31 October, the Malaysian Parliament will host a Regional Parliamentary Seminar entitled “Standing against death penalty in Asia”, organised by PGA, in partnership with Ensemble contre la peine de mort (Together against the death penalty, ECPM) and the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN). This event will gather legislators from Malaysia and other countries of the region, including Pakistan, Australia, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka.
