The Malaysian government has agreed to abolish the mandatory death penalty.

In a statement issued on Friday, the defacto law minister, Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, said that capital punishment would now be replaced by other types of punishment at the court's discretion.

The decision to abolish death penalty is followed by a report presentation on the study of alternative sentences for mandatory death penalty during the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

The statement read that “the Cabinet has agreed that further studies and research should be carried out regarding proposed alternative sentences for 11 offences which carry the mandatory death penalty, one offence under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act and 22 offences which carry the death penalty but under the discretion of the court.

Malaysia has death penalty for murder, drug trafficking, terrorism, kidnapping, and possession of firearms.

Minister Wan Junaidi said the further studies will be carried out by the Attorney-General's Chambers, together with the legal affairs division of the Prime Minister's Department, and other stakeholder ministries.

“This action is very significant in ensuring that the amendments to the related Acts take into account the principles of ‘proportionality’ and constitutionality in whatever proposals to the government later,” Mr Wan Junaidi said in his statement.