The executions of Batumalai brothers who were convicted of murder are against the syariah objectives (maqasid syariah), PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar said.

Rames, 45, and his brother Suthar, 40, were executed this morning despite the duo consistently maintaining their innocence.

"The execution of Rames and Suthar is regrettable and I hope such mistakes involving human lives will not be repeated," she said in a statement.

Nurul Izzah said it was un-Islamic to hang the duo because the family's application for pardon is still pending.

The execution was also hastened to this morning, instead of the earlier scheduled Friday as per convention for execution, the Lembah Pantai MP added.

"Such things must be done consistent with the spirit and values of Islam, for the sake of justice and as hikmah (a lesson) for the offender.

"Islam prioritises forgiveness before punishment, as stated in verse 178 of the al-Baqarah chapter of the Quran," she said.

The verses states:

"O you who have believed, prescribed for you is legal retribution for those murdered - the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female.

"But whoever overlooks from his brother anything, then there should be a suitable follow-up and payment to him with good conduct. This is an alleviation from your Lord and a mercy."

Islamic jurisprudence on retribution

Nurul Izzah also pointed to the convention of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) on allowing families of those murdered to seek a form of financial retribution instead of the death penalty to spare another life.

"This is based on the objectives of syariah, that is consistent with the preservation of life as well as to quell vengeful feelings among the victims' family...

"This is for the family to find forgiveness to quell some of the feelings of vengeance and is given a sum of money termed 'diyat' to help ease the remainder of the vengeful feelings," she explained.

She added that forgiveness does not mean that the perpetrators will be let off and that they will still be punished accordingly, like facing life in prison.

Amnesty International Malaysia, which has campaigned to stop the hanging, said the case is "deeply troubling" as the brothers were convicted based on circumstantial evidence.

Their mother A Parvathy had on Feb 23 petitioned the Negri Sembilan ruler to commute their death sentences or replace it with a prison sentence, while their lawyer petitioned the deputy director of the Kajang prison.

Following the applications, their executions which were initially scheduled for Feb 24, were halted at the last hour and set again for March 17.

It was yesterday announced that it was to be brought forward to March 15, and the brothers were hanged at dawn today.