KOTA KINABALU: Five town hall sessions of the special committee set up to study alternatives to the mandatory death sentence have obtained differing feedback from the people.
Committee chairman Richard Malanjum, who was the former chief justice, said the town hall sessions are important to obtain the views and feedback from stakeholders at the grassroots level.
“The feedback received so far is very good. We will gather all opinions and analyses as recommendations which would be tabled to the Cabinet by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Liew Vui Leong.
“The recommendations will be prepared in January next year and are expected to be tabled to the Cabinet later in March,” he said when met after the special committee’s town hall session here today.
The session was conducted by Universiti Sains Malaysia Security Department director Assoc Prof P Sundramoorthy. Among the panellists present were former chief judge of Malaya Zaharah Ibrahim and former solicitor-general II Zauyah Be T Loth Khan.
The stakeholders present at the public consultative session included members of the public, as well as ministry and department officers and NGOs.
Richard said the proposed replacement for the mandatory death sentence involved 11 sections.
According to him, the views and feedback received at the five town hall sessions were mixed with some agreeing and some disagreeing.
Some want the death sentence to be abolished, he said.
He said there are two more town hall sessions after this in Kuching next week. There is also a session with MPs.
The legal affairs office, under the Prime Minister’s Department, has become the secretariat of the town hall sessions.