LFL adviser N Surendran said no such bill had even appeared in the parliamentary order paper, whether in the list for first reading or in the orders of the day.

In a statement, he said this was cause for concern as the current session of the Dewan Rakyat would end by next week.

“We understand that the bill to abolish the death penalty has been given to the Cabinet for approval. Who, or what, is then holding it up?”

On Oct 10, de facto law minister Liew Vui Keong said the death penalty would be abolished, with a bill on the matter to be tabled in the current Parliament sitting which began on Oct 15.

He later said inmates on death row would serve 30 years’ life imprisonment under the proposed abolition.

There were 1,267 prisoners on death row as of October, about 900 of whom were convicted of drug offences, including trafficking in dangerous drugs.

Surendran said the decision to table the bill must be made at the Cabinet meeting this week.

He urged the government leaders not to forget the ideals they fought for during their time in the opposition, warning that any backtracking or compromise in their decision to abolish the death penalty would paint them as “weak, indecisive and untrustworthy”.

“Another U-turn would be devastating for public confidence in the new government,” he said.

“We urge the Cabinet to direct the minister in charge to table the bill in the Dewan Rakyat at least by Dec 10, which is international human rights day.

“This would be a fitting present to the Malaysian people, who voted for justice, the rule of law and the upholding of human rights on May 9.”