Dr Michael Teo
MIRI: Miri MP Dr Michael Teo is against the abolition of death sentence and he suggested that the law be implemented the way it is being done in Singapore.
According to him, the family of the late Bill Kayong who was murdered in a drive-by shooting in 2016 had also contacted him and expressed their disagreement on the matter.
“Bill Kayong’s family have contacted me to say that they do not agree with the abolishment of the death penalty.
“I agree that some murderers are cold blooded. For premeditated murders or planned murders, we should follow Singapore law, where only those accused of premeditated or planned murders are sentenced to death,” he said.
Dr Teo said this when asked about his view on the matter during a press conference yesterday, after many families of murder victims nationwide voiced their protest on the abolishment of the death penalty.
“If you tell people that they are not going to be killed (for murder), they will get bolder. Some jobless people will think that they can get paid for killing another. Even if they get caught, they will be fed and even get to watch TV in prison. This might seem to them like a good idea,” he added.
However, for drugs related matters, he said some do not deserve the death sentence.
“In Malaysia, all drugs in drug-related cases fall into one category. But there are actually two different groups of drugs. There are hard drugs such as Ice, Syabu, heroin and amphetamine which are very addictive and lucrative to sell.
“The other group is mild drugs such as cough mixture, codeine which you take for pain, morphine which is used for patients and sleeping pills that help those who have trouble sleeping, as well as marijuana which have been legalised in Holland since 15 years ago.
“There are two different groups but the government do not understand that these are different types of drugs,” he said adding that in drug related cases, all these are categorised in the same group and the sentence for trafficking these drugs is the death penalty.
Dr Teo felt those involved in mild drugs should not be sentenced to death.