The Attorney-General's Chambers is still in the process of studying the legal issues, policies and effectiveness of the implementation of the death penalty in the country, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nancy Shukri.

She said the scope of the study was not limited to status of the mandatory death penalty, but encompassed the entire provision of the death penalty enforced in the country, as well as its implementation.

"The policy decision in relation to the death penalty in the country will be taken based on findings of the study," Nancy ( photo ) said in a written reply to a question from Su Keong Siong (DAP-Ipoh Timor), which was circulated in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Su wanted to know whether the government intended to review the mandatory death sentence for criminal cases in Malaysia.

Recently, Nancy was reported saying that the proposal to amend the Penal Code to abolish the mandatory death sentence involving serious crimes could not be solved immediately, as there were other laws that needed to be studied.

She hoped the proposed amendments could be tabled in Parliament in March next year.

- Bernama