H

uman rights defenders have urged Indonesia to follow in the footsteps of Malaysia, which recently took the “progressive” step to abolish the death penalty.

Dinna Wisnu, Indonesia’s representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), said Indonesia should follow Malaysia’s lead so as to ensure the two countries would be able to push ASEAN forward as an area free of capital punishment.

“Let us combat crime and criminals, but not kill people,” Dinna told The Jakarta Post recently.

Malaysia’s Cabinet moved to abolish the death penalty on Thursday, with more than 1,200 people on death row set to win a reprieve.

Capital punishment in Malaysia is currently mandatory for murder, kidnapping, possession of firearms and drug trafficking, among other crimes, and is carried out by hanging — a legacy of British colonial rule. Among those on death row were 90 Indonesians, Dinna said citing data from the Foreign Ministry and the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

“The announcement of the Malaysian government was a breath of fresh air for the promotion and protection of human rights in ASEAN,” Dinna said.

The international relations expert took Malaysia’s decision as a positive move from within ASEAN, allowing member states to consider other actions aimed at deterring crime. She insists that capital punishment does not do the trick.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch (HRW) researcher Andreas Harsono said Malaysia would likely position itself as a human rights leader in Southeast Asia, although human rights campaigners would wait and see if Malaysia followed through on its commitment.

“The international community will place more attention on other ASEAN countries which still put people to death,” he said.

Malaysia will be the third ASEAN member state to formally abolish the death penalty, after Cambodia in 1989 and the Philippines in 2006. Meanwhile, Myanmar and Laos are abolitionist in practice.

Under President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration, Indonesia has executed 18 death row inmates convicted of drug-related offenses, including foreigners, in three batches since 2015.

Similarly, Amnesty International Indonesia director Usman Hamid said an initiative to abolish the death penalty could come from the House of Representatives.

“In Malaysia, the initiative comes from the government. In Indonesia, it could come from the House as the initiator for abolishing the death penalty for all crimes,” he said, adding that such a move would be supported by the global community.

Usman said he appreciated a statement made by Charles Honoris, a member of the House foreign affairs and defense commission, who suggested that Indonesia learn from Malaysia.

“We recommend that the House communicate with [Malaysia] as soon as possible to process the proposal of abolishing the death sentence,” Usman said.