JOHOR BARU: The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, recently issued a royal pardon for a man on death row who has been in prison for the past 11 years.
The pardon for the 29-year-old man who was sentenced to death for murder in 2004, was in conjunction with the occasion of the state ruler's coronation today.
Johor state secretary Datuk Ismail Karim said the former prisoner has since been released after his family had pleaded for clemency.
“The man and his family, who were accompanied by Prisons Department officers, had an audience with Sultan Ibrahim at Istana Bukit Serene at 12pm on March 19," he said.
Ismail said this during a special media conference to announce the royal amnesty for prisoners at the Sultan Ibrahim Building in Bukit Timbalan here on Thursday.
He said the state government hopes that the released prisoner will put to good use the second chance given to him to improve and develop his life, his family and also for the country.
It is learnt that the former prisoner was involved in a murder case of a friend when he was 17. The incident happened during a camping trip about 11 years ago and was considered a juvenile case.
At the same time, Sultan Ibrahim had also reduced the death sentences of 10 other prisoners to life imprisonment and natural life sentences.
Six prisoners were spared the gallows through the royal amnesty by only serving life imprisonment. They were originally sentenced to death under Section 39B (1) (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and Section 3 of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971.
Four others who also faced the death sentence were granted amnesty where they will serve natural life sentences. They were previously sentenced to death under Section 3 of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971 and also Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
Ismail said Sultan Ibrahim who chaired the Johor Pardon's Board meeting on March 5, issued the royal amnesty to the prisoners who were convicted of different crimes.
“The meeting was attended by Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail and also three other members of the Johor Pardon's Board,” he said.
During the meeting, Ismail said the board had reviewed 10 death sentence appeal cases under Rule 11 of the Prisons Regulations 2000 and 13 for the four year review for convicted prisoners under Rule 54 of the Prisons Regulations 2000.
Ismail said Sultan Ibrahim and the Johor Pardon's Board can only grant a royal pardon for Johorean prisoners.
