Home minister denies Amnesty's secret killings report
Malaysiakini.com
Apr 18, 2008

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar yesterday had denied Malaysia carried out executions in secret as claimed in a recent report by human rights group Amnesty International. MCPX

Amnesty, in a report on death sentences and executions on Tuesday, said "many countries carry out executions in secret and refuse to divulge any information on the use of the death penalty."

It said these countries include China, Singapore, Malaysia and Mongolia.

"We do not have secret killings, as anyone who commits a crime here has to go through the process of law. We cannot simply kill people, Malaysia is a country of law," Syed Hamid told state news agency Bernama.

"I don't know how they could come up with such a report. Did they meet and speak to anyone or just listen to rumours?" he added.

Amnesty International Malaysia coordinator K Shan said in a statement that the report did not put forward any fact of arbitrary executions in the country.

He also urged the government to provide more reliable information about executions.

Amnesty International Malaysia "calls on the government of Malaysia to make an official release on all statistics on executions and death sentences in Malaysia to date," he said in the statement.

Attempts by AFP to reach Shan for additional comment were not successful.

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