KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 — The European Union (EU) has welcomed Malaysia’s move to abolish the mandatory death penalty as an important step towards the complete abolition of the capital punishment in line with the worldwide trend.

EU spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Nabila Massrali said the EU is looking forward to swift transformation of this decision into law by the Malaysian government.

She said the EU stands ready to support Malaysia in its efforts to completely abolish the death penalty.

"As a matter of principle, the European Union strongly opposes the death penalty at all times and in all circumstances.

"The death penalty violates the inalienable right to life and is the ultimate cruel, inhuman punishment, which fails to act as a deterrent to crime and represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity,” she said in a statement published on its website on Saturday.

She added that the EU will continue to work for the abolition of the death penalty in the few remaining countries that still apply it.

Malaysia on Friday had agreed to abolish the mandatory death penalty and to substitute it with other sentences which are subject to the discretion of the court.

The government said further study will be carried out on the proposed substitute sentence for 11 offences carrying the mandatory death penalty, one of which is under section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 (Act 234) and 22 offences carrying the death penalty but with the discretion of the court. — Bernama