Malaysia should end secretive executions: Amnesty

Amnesty International has called on the Malaysian government to end “secretive” executions, saying that the country is preparing to carry out another instance of capital punishment.

On Thursday, the London-based human rights group said that Malaysia was planning on executing a woman accused of committing murder more than 10 years ago.

Amnesty said that relatives of the woman identified as Chandran said she would be executed on February 7.

“Malaysian authorities must immediately halt plans to carry out yet another secretive execution,” the rights group said in a statement.

Amnesty’s Malaysia researcher Hazel Galang-Folli said the execution would be “an enormous step backwards on human rights.”

“For Malaysia to try to carry out executions in near-total secrecy is shameful – the government is essentially trying to hide its human rights violations from the world,” Galang-Folli added.

According to the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF), a group which supports the rights of Indians in Malaysia, the woman’s name is Chandran Paskaran.

Malaysian government officials have made no comments on the matter so far.

Malaysia carries out its executions, generally without prior or posthumous announcements.

Figures released in 2011 showed that about 450 people were executed in the country between 1960 and 2011.