In a statement, he welcomed Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s confirmation yesterday that Putrajaya was contemplating removing the death penalty in Malaysia.
However, he added that it was unclear if Wan Azizah was advocating this in order to extradite Sirul, who was convicted of the 2006 murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.
“It must be stated at once that the death penalty ought to be abolished as a matter of principle and not merely to facilitate the return of Sirul as it is an inhumane form of punishment and numerous studies have found it to be an ineffective deterrent,” he said.
Ramkarpal, who has spoken out against the death penalty before, said the government must have the political will to completely abolish the punishment and impose a moratorium on pending death row cases in the meantime.
“There are currently various crimes that impose the death penalty, and each of them should be amended in the next Parliament sitting to expedite the process of the total abolishment of the death penalty in this country.”
Wan Azizah had said that Putrajaya was considering doing away with the death penalty in legislation pertaining to criminal offences, which could leave Australia with no choice but to send back Sirul.
“That’s why we are discussing whether it is necessary for us to change the sentence or replace it with any penalty,” she said.
Ramkarpal said if the death penalty was abolished, Sirul would likely be extradited as Australia would no longer have any reason to hold him there.
“Indeed, if Australia continued to hold him despite the death penalty being abolished, it may be seen as harbouring a convicted murderer without justification which could strain bilateral ties between the two countries and tarnish the image of Australia in the eyes of the world,” he added.
Sirul and his accomplice Azilah Hadri were sentenced to hang in 2009 for Altantuya’s murder.
Their conviction was overturned in 2013 after questions were raised about how their trial was conducted. However, the Federal Court upheld their death sentences in 2015, by which point Sirul had already fled to Australia.
Australian law will not allow Sirul to be sent back to Malaysia as he faces the death sentence.
Azilah meanwhile remains on death row in Kajang prison.