KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 — In his harshest condemnation yet of the move to abolish the death penalty, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang declared that its supporters lack humanity.

In a lengthy statement today, he said Islam upheld the practice of Qisas (retaliatory) punishment for crimes, including that of murder.

"The priority to preserve human life is a living principle to which even dietary laws are rendered secondary, permitting the consumption of prohibited foods rather than death by starvation,” Hadi said.

He said that according to Islamic teachings, the death penalty meted out to criminals gives life, as it saves the lives of countless others by eliminating said criminals who could have gone on to become a disease upon society.

"Those who (hold on to) the theory of abolishing the death penalty are in the wrong, disbelieving in God and lack all humanity,” Hadi said.

He called upon Malaysians to make every effort to fight the abolition of the death penalty, encouraging them to stand up against its supporters, whom he called fools who think themselves better because they are Western-educated even as the West is in the continuous throes of crime.

"The so-called anti-terrorism influence of the West, disguised with the agenda of abolishing the death penalty for the most severe crimes, has successfully influenced some of the rakyat.

"They who uphold such thoughts consider themselves most intelligent, aping the mindset of the supposedly advanced West, but have lost their humanity up to the extent of fighting for terrorists’ basic rights without regard for the true human costs of the victims and their families who deserve sympathy,” he said.

In October last year, Hadi urged the government to review the move to abolish the death penalty thoroughly, with fairness and transparency.

Similar sentiments were echoed by then-MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong, who said a Parliamentary Select Committee should be established to review the proposed abolishment.

De facto Law Minister Datuk Liew Vui Keong said last month that the Bill to abolish the mandatory death penalty was expected to be tabled at the next Dewan Rakyat sitting.

He said the Attorney General’s Chambers was currently in the final stage of preparing the legislative papers for the purpose.

According to the Parliament website, the next Dewan Rakyat sitting is scheduled for March 11 to April 11 next year.

Prior to this, Liew announced that the Cabinet had decided that the death penalty for 33 offences under eight Acts of law would be abolished, including Section 302 of the Penal Code (murder).

He had said that the decision, achieved collectively on October 10, would include the Firearms (Heavier Penalties) Act 1971, Firearms Act 1960, Kidnapping Act 1961, Armed Forces Act 1972, Water Services Industries Act 2006, Strategic Trade Act 2010 and Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.