There are 121 prisoners, including four women, on death row in the country, said Deputy Home Minister Chor Chee Hueng during a press conference at the Dewan Negara today.

He was responding to a question from Senator Syed Ali Syed Abbas AlHabshee in the Upper House earlier.

Chor said according to the Prisons Department figures up to Oct 30 this year, a majority of these prisoners were given the death sentence under the Dangerous Drugs Act while the rest were found guilty under the Penal Code (for murder) and the Weapons Act.

He added that 52 of these prisoners were being held at the Kajang Prison in Selangor. (See chart)

Appeal process

Explaining the process, Chor said a death row prisoner will usually have to wait for two years before the sentence is carried out.

"However, there are those that wait for more than 10 years. The delay is due to the prisoners appealing to the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court and if these fail, they could appeal to the state pardon commission," he added.

The deputy minister said that death row prisoners were accorded the same treatment as other inmates and were also allowed family visits.

The death sentence in Malaysia is carried out by way of hanging.