Criminologist Haezareena Begum said it is time for Malaysia to move to the next step on the road to abolish capital punishment, considering that a moratorium on the death penalty has been in effect since 2018.

"This is a long-drawn-out period where we are moving towards abolition.

"We have many prisoners on death row and yet a long-standing moratorium on executions. I think there should be a quicker decision made, a change in the legislation itself....