Chandran Paskaran was scheduled to be executed today. But his death sentence has been postponed following intervention from the Sultan of Johor.

According to his brother Thamotharan, the order came late last night.

"Our family is extremely happy with the news received at the last hour. Our deepest gratitude goes to the Sultan for intervening at the last moment," he was quoted as saying by online news portal Free Malaysia Today.

Chandran was convicted for a murder in 2003 and sentenced to death by the Johor Baru High Court in 2008.

However, Amnesty International Malaysia executive director Shamini Darshni said Chandran's life was still at risk and urged that his sentence be commuted immediately, as well as that of other death row inmates.

"We urge the Malaysian government to immediately halt all plans for executions, commute existing death sentences and put in place a moratorium on the use of the death penalty as a first step towards abolition," she added in a statement today.

Echoing Sahmini's statement, Human Rights Watch Asia division deputy director Phil Robertson said: "The Malaysian government should recognise that the death penalty is an irreversible, inherently cruel and unusual punishment that should be done away with once and for all." 

"If Malaysia made a decision to abolish the death penalty, this would be greeted with significant support and applause at Malaysia's upcoming session at the UN Human Rights Council to discuss the results of last year's Universal Periodic Review session for the country," he added in a separate statement.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Bar also welcomed the sultan's decision to spare Chandran’s life, and commended the prime minister and his government for their role in the matter.

Bar Council president Christopher Leong urged the government to now move ahead with its stated  aim, since 2010, to relook at the the mandatory death penalty, with a view to its possible abolition or the reintroduction of a discretionary death penalty.

“The Malaysian Bar reiterates its proposal to the Malaysian government to abolish the death penalty without delay. Those who have been sentenced with the mandatory death penalty should all be resentenced,” Leong said in a statement.

He noted that the matter was already under review by the Attorney-General’s Chambers.