PETALING JAYA, April 6 ― A global rights group today urged Malaysia to abolish the death penalty here and release all prisoners on death row, including Sirul Azhar Umar, the former police commando convicted of killing Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Amnesty International Malaysia executive director Shamini Darshni said for a start, there should be an immediate moratorium on all death penalty cases.

“We are calling for an immediate moratorium on the death penalty and that the death penalty not to be used again,” she said at the launch of AI’s global report on capital punishment.

“Yes, of course. We are calling that not just on the death sentence for Sirul but for others as well,” she said when asked whether they support commuting Sirul’s death sentence as well.

Shamini also suggested that the government’s weak political will and a vague stand on the death penalty issue have contributed to the lack of discussions on the subject in the current Parliament session.

Discussions and debates to abolish death penalty in Malaysia, especially under the Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA) have been taking place in Malaysia since 2011, but no legislative amendments have been proposed to date.

Sirul was convicted for the 2006 murder of Altantuya but fled to Australia last year to escape the death penalty.

He is currently under detention by Australian immigration officials in Sydney.