The death penalty should not
be abolished for major crimes as it serves as a deterrent.
A street poll by The Malay Mail yesterday
showed a consensus on this.
Many feel that without the death penalty, the rate of serious
crimes will soar.
They were commenting on Minister in the Prime Minister’s
Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz’s statement that the Bar
Council’s proposal to abolish the death sentence was worth
looking into.
Here are the views of some of those interviewed:
- HAMZAH KAMAR, 61, retired Assistant Superintendant of Police,
Kuala Lumpur:
"I do not agree with the idea of abolishing the death
penalty as it serves as a deterrent to those intending to commit
serious crimes like murder.
"The absence of capital punishment will only encourage a
person to kill another. To me, it’s simple.
"If you take someone’s life, you pay back with your own.
I don’t think it (capital punishment) is cruel, it is
justice!"
- EDMOND WEE, 45, marketing manager, Kuala Lumpur:
"I disagree with the proposal. The death sentence is a
punishment to ensure justice. Without the death penalty, our
society would be unstable. People will think they can get away
with anything.
"I believe in punishment meted out after several stages of
judgment and based on evidence. That’s good enough.
"However, by doing away with capital punishment, victims
like Canny Ong will have no justice! By skinning a few cats, it
will certainly serve as a deterrent, and reduce the crime
rate."
- MOHD FAROUK ESHAK, 31, policeman from Cheras:
"I disagree. I think the death penalty serves as a
deterrent against serious crimes. For example, if drug smugglers
are not given the death sentence, the matter would have got
worst.
"There have been many cases where criminals were released
from jail after a few years only to commit more serious
crimes."
- RATHIKGA GUNALAN, 24, bank clerk, Kuala Lumpur:
"I am not happy with it. I think the death sentence should
stay. As women, we are afraid that without the death penalty, we
will not be protected.
"We read in the newspapers daily of women being raped and
murdered. There is no justice at all, if the criminal just gets
away with mere imprisonment. If they do it, they should pay for
it!"
- NURUL AKMA ABD RAHIM, 29, assistant manager, Kuala Lumpur:
"They should not abolish it. Without the death sentence,
criminals can just get away easily.
"Death sentence is a must for serious crimes. At least,
criminals will think twice before they commit a serious crime
like murder.
"I feel that a five-year jail term for a rapist is way too
lenient."
- ROBERT ONG, 55, a retiree, Kuala Lumpur:
"I disagree with the proposal. We must have the death
penalty in our country.
"Our country is unlike advanced countries, and I think that
ours is not that stable yet. Even the United States still has
the death sentence as capital punishment.
"We do not want any more rape and murder victims like Canny
Ong. They have to pay for what they did, and only the death
penalty is a deterrent to serious crimes."
- SUSAN YIN, 42, administrative officer, from Kuala Lumpur:
"No, I don’t agree with the idea. People who murder and
smuggle dangerous drugs should not just get away so easily.
They should be given the death sentence to prevent similar
crimes.
"I understand that the death penalty might sound cruel, but
if left unchecked, they will commit more crimes. With the law in
place now, everything is fine."
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