• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

Apparent discrimination by Singapore Prison Service in granting access to inmates

by Terry Xu
16/02/2017
in Current Affairs
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0

N. Surendran (third from right) and M. Ravi (rightmost)

Lawyer N Surendran and counsel Raul Lee Baskaran, are representing death-row inmates, K Datchinamurthy and S Prabagaran to seek the declaration from the Malaysian Government and Foreign Ministry that they are legally obliged to protect and give them a right to a fair trial and/or right to life and liberty.  They also want a declaration from the court that Putrajaya is obliged to protect their lives and freedom.
In 2011, 32-year-old Datchinamurthy together with J Christeen, a Singaporean, were arrested by Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers for trafficking 44.96g of diamorphine. Christeen was spared the death sentence as she had provided ‘substantive assistance’ to the CNB. Datchinamurthy has exhausted his final appeal two years ago after the Singapore Court of Appeal asserted the sentence of the High Court.
While, 29-year-old Prabagaran was convicted in 2012 after the Singapore immigration checkpoint found 22.24g of diamorphine, a pure form of heroin, in his car. He claimed during the trial that he did not know there were drugs in the car, which he had borrowed from a man named Nathan.
Lawyers denied access to client by prison service
In their bid to prove the case for Prabagaran in Malaysia, representing lawyers for Prabagaran have sought access from the Singapore Prison Service to visit their client. However, the Prison Services have denied their access, stating that the lawyers are not Advocates and Solicitors of Singapore.

M Ravi, founder of the Singapore Anti-Death Penalty Campaign who is working with N Surendran and human rights lawyers Latheefa Koya to stop Prabagaran’s execution, wrote on his Facebook that they are looking for answers to why the lawyers are being denied access to their clients.

Noting a similar application was made by a Nigerian lawyer in 2007 to visit Amara Tochi, a Nigerian accused of drug-trafficking and a death-row prisoner. That request was also denied on the basis that he was not an Advocate and Solicitor of Singapore.
In about 2010,  Ng Chow Ying, a Malaysian lawyer who was representing then-death-row inmate, Yong Vui Kong was denied based on the same reasons.
Apparent discriminatory treatment by the Singapore Prison Service
However, it is noted that the Prisons Service approved the request for access by Australian Lawyers to visit Van Nguyen, an Australian-Vietnamese who was on death-row in Singapore, before his execution, lawyers who are also not allowed to practice law in Singapore.
“Why the discrepancies?” asked Mr Ravi and noted in his post that he has had access in the past to his Singapore client facing capital punishment in Malaysia.
He added, “There is a serious lack of transparency here and it is unclear the grounds on which the Prisons Service can and cannot grant access for lawyers,”
“Surely something so important as right to access by lawyers cannot be so arbitrary? What about Article 12 and the right to equal treatment under the law?,”
He also pointed out that even though Singapore lawyer, Eugene Thuraisingam is still representing Prabagaran in Singapore, the Malaysian lawyers need to directly advise Prabagaran on his application before the Malaysian courts and take his instructions thereon.
Mr Ravi asks in his post, “Where can we get answers for these very critical and fundamental questions? Must we run to the courts every time for such challenges?”
TOC has written to the Singapore Prison Service for their response on the claims and will include their response when they reply.

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.

Related Posts

Minister Tan See Leng only reveals 500 intra-corporate transferees from India for last year – a Covid year
Opinion

Increasing number of working Permanent Residents in Singapore but with a stable PR population

03/02/2023
Opinion

A multi-party parliament is the only way to make sure that Singapore continues to not condone or tolerate corruption

03/02/2023
Anwar criticised over appointing own daughter as his senior advisor
Malaysia

Anwar criticised over appointing own daughter as his senior advisor

03/02/2023
Level of unemployment in Indonesia shows failure in the Job Creation Law, says KSPI
Indonesia

Level of unemployment in Indonesia shows failure in the Job Creation Law, says KSPI

02/02/2023
Commentaries

The Keppel bribery scandal tests Singapore’s zero-tolerance policy towards corruption

02/02/2023
Singapore Law Watch removes commentary on CPIB’s decision to not prosecute former Keppel executives
Singapore

Singapore Law Watch removes commentary on CPIB’s decision to not prosecute former Keppel executives

02/02/2023
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

Minister Tan See Leng only reveals 500 intra-corporate transferees from India for last year – a Covid year

Increasing number of working Permanent Residents in Singapore but with a stable PR population

03/02/2023

A multi-party parliament is the only way to make sure that Singapore continues to not condone or tolerate corruption

03/02/2023
Anwar criticised over appointing own daughter as his senior advisor

Anwar criticised over appointing own daughter as his senior advisor

03/02/2023
Level of unemployment in Indonesia shows failure in the Job Creation Law, says KSPI

Level of unemployment in Indonesia shows failure in the Job Creation Law, says KSPI

02/02/2023

The Keppel bribery scandal tests Singapore’s zero-tolerance policy towards corruption

02/02/2023
Singapore Law Watch removes commentary on CPIB’s decision to not prosecute former Keppel executives

Singapore Law Watch removes commentary on CPIB’s decision to not prosecute former Keppel executives

02/02/2023
US businesses ‘fear internet curbs in Hong Kong’

Hong Kong offers free flights after COVID isolation

02/02/2023
Why is Gautam Adani’s Indian empire in turmoil?

Why is Gautam Adani’s Indian empire in turmoil?

02/02/2023

Trending posts

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

by Yee Loon
30/01/2023
25

...

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

by Yee Loon
26/01/2023
24

...

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

by Augustine Low
01/02/2023
36

...

Two Indian nationals paid about S$330 and S$730 respectively for forged certificates submitted in their S-Pass application

MOM found issuing EPs meant for foreign PMETs to PRC waitress and general worker

by Correspondent
26/01/2023
41

...

Singapore warns slower economic growth in 2023

Less than 1 in 10 jobs created in first three quarters of 2022 went to Singaporeans?

by Leong Szehian
28/01/2023
69

...

Excessively charging for an essential need, and calling it affordable because people still can pay for it?

by Terry Xu
31/01/2023
39

...

February 2017
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728  
« Jan   Mar »

The Online Citizen is a regional online publication based in Taiwan and formerly Singapore’s longest-running independent online media platform.

Navigation

  • Editorial
  • Commentaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Community

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Letter submission
  • Membership subscription

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

wpDiscuz