Bill Kayong’s family unhappy over proposed abolition of death penalty

MIRI: The family of murder victim Bill Kayong has expressed their unhappiness over the proposal to abolish death penalty especially those convicted of murder.

Miri Member of Parliament (MP) Dr Michael Teo Yu Keng said the family had informed him that they disagreed with the proposal because it would send a wrong message as if murder was not a serious crime in the country.

“They personally sent me a message about it,” he told a news conference at his office yesterday.

Dr Teo said death penalty should remain for premeditated murder case in the country and to send a strong message to those who intend to take law into their hands.

He also proposed for Malaysia to follow Singapore criminal laws especially the death penalty.

Bill Kayong, who was Miri PKR secretary, was shot dead at the traffic light intersection near EMart Supermarket in Jalan Kuala Baram bypass around 8.20 am on June 21, 2016.

On Aug 10, 2018, bouncer Mohd Fitri Pauzi was sentenced to death under section 302 of the Penal Code by the Miri High Court on Aug 10, 2018 over the murder of Kayong, whose Muslim name was Mohd Hasbie Abdullah, after High Court Judge P. Ravinthran found that the prosecution had proven the case beyond reasonable doubts.

On Oct 16, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong was quoted as saying that government would proceed with abolishing death penaltly despite criticism from families of the deceased. Bernama