Pouring rain may have kept the chalk from the sidewalk, by Sydneysiders found other ways to share their support for refugees Sunday.
June 19 to 25 is Australia’s Refugee Week, and the festivities kicked off with a “Chalk Your Support” event at Sydney Town Hall, where attendees were encouraged to share messages of hope and welcome to those seeking a new life in the country.
Death Penalty
WHILE the study on whether to keep the death penalty is ongoing, the Government is open to proposals on the matter.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri says the Government is considering suggestions to improve the current justice system including whether to replace the death penalty with life imprisonment, as mooted by several parties including the Malaysian Bar.
“I really want to see the amendment to the mandatory death penalty be passed and implemented prior to the 14th general election,” she tells Sunday Star.
Nancy, who is the minister in charge of law, points out that the study requires a long time as a very comprehensive review needs to be carried out.
Most of what the punishment does is show that the government is tough. But it doesn’t make a difference. – Salil Shetty. Pic taken from The Star Online
Amnesty International secretary-general Salil Shetty feels it’s time for Malaysia to join the abolitionists, saying there is no evidence the death penalty is an effective deterrent.
RIGHT now, more than 1,000 prisoners in Malaysia are waiting to know if they will be executed for their crimes or have their lives spared.
These death row inmates, according to the Prisons Department, are yet to be sent to the gallows as their cases are pending appeals, with the court or state pardon boards.
But as their fate continues to hang in the balance, Amnesty International (AI) is urging Malaysia to join the ranks of the growing number of countries that have put an end to the death penalty.
Its secretary-general Salil Shetty is also calling on the Malaysian Government to impose a moratorium on all death row cases while it is deliberating whether to do away with the penalty for good.
In fact, he even goes on to say that it is “fictional” that capital punishments can deter crimes, including terrorism. “There is no evidence in the world to show that the death penalty is a deterrent. Read more
JUNE 19 — The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (the Commission) aligns itself with others in expressing serious concerns over the exacerbating global refugee crisis. In the wake of escalating violence, turmoil and armed conflict plaguing many parts of the world, millions of people, many of whom are women and children, are adversely affected and become refugees. They are forced to flee their homes and cross international borders and deep seas, risking their lives in pursuit of safety and survival.
Thousands of them die in the process.
In commemorating World Refugee Day, which falls on 20 June, the Commission pays tribute to the courage and determination demonstrated by refugees and asylum seekers all over the globe. The trials and tribulations endured by them to escape persecution and life-threatening circumstances in their home countries are unspeakable, and their strength and perseverance in overcoming such difficult situations deserve recognition.
However, recognition alone will do very little to improve the plight of refugees. Concrete actions must be taken not only to mitigate the predicaments faced by them but also to safeguard their human rights and to address the root causes that lead to their unfavourable situation in the first place. Read more