Update (1.01pm on 26 October 2018) – TOC understands that the total number of executions this week stands at 4 and not 3, as reported earlier. It has come to our attention that Ali Bin Mohamad Bahashwan was executed alongside his co-accused Selamat Bin Paki on Wednesday afternoon (24 October 2018). As a result of the lack of official data and statistics regarding executions, we had to take some time to verify and confirm this information before publishing this update. Prabu and Irwan were executed earlier today at 6am. Full story here.

Prabu N Pathmanathan, a 31-year-old Malaysian national is slated to be executed this Friday (26 October 2018) Changi Prison Complex. Prabu was first arrested for drug trafficking on 31 December 2014 and sentenced to the death penalty. His family was informed of Prabu’s execution date only on 20 October 2018.

Malaysian lawyer group, led by prominent human rights lawyers N Surendran and Latheefa Koya, urged the new Pakatan Harapan Government, who have already committed to abolishing the death penalty in Malaysia, to undertake diplomatic efforts to save Prabu’s life.

Earlier today, it was announced that the Malaysian Law Minister, Liew Vui Keong, was set to pen a letter to the Singapore Government to commute Prabu’s death sentence to life imprisonment. In a UN day address, Minister Keong also called upon the Singapore Government to halt Prabu’s execution.

Background on Arrest

On 31 December 2014, Prabu’s co-accused, Suthakar drove a Toyota Hilux into Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint when his car was subjected to a search by ICA Officers. The ICA Officers noticed some scratches on the screws in the rear seat and decided to remove the screws. They then found ten packets of a brown granular substance, which was later identified as diamorphine, in the compartment.

Suthakar then identified Prabu as the owner of the car and told the officers that he was instructed by Prabu to transport the packets into Singapore and meet him outside a Sheng Shiong supermarket. Suthakar admitted that he knew he was transporting drugs but claimed that he thought he was in possession of cannabis instead of diamorphine. He also claimed that Prabu was to pay him about 1,000 to 1,500 Malaysian Ringgit. Prabu was arrested later that afternoon at the car park at Woodlands Town Garden and two screwdrivers were retrieved from the dashboard of his car.

During his trial, Prabu raised an issue about the admissibility of his statements as he claimed that the Investigating Officer induced him with the offer of escaping the death penalty. The trial judge also found that the forensic evidence was “not entirely conclusive” as the test from the Health Sciences Authority only revealed that one of the screwdrivers retrieved from Prabu’s car “could have originated” from the screws in the Toyota Hilux.

Despite this, the Judge ultimately found that Prabu had knowledge of the specific nature of the drugs being transported and, together with Suthakar, had the common intention of transporting the drugs into Singapore for the purposes of delivering it to buyers in Singapore. However, the Judge held that Suthakar’s role was limited to that of a courier as his actions constituted “acts preparatory to or for the purpose of transporting, sending or delivering the diamorphine under s 33B(2)(a)(iii) of the Act.” We understand that Suthakar’s sentence was eventually commuted to life imprisonment while Prabu was sentenced to the death penalty.

Response from Malaysian Lawyers

On 10 October 2018, the Malaysian Government announced plans to abolish the death penalty in principle. The timing of this announcement on the World Day Against the Death Penalty brought widespread praise for the newly-elected Pakatan Harapan government.

Lawyers for Liberty, a lawyers group in Malaysia, applauded the Government for it’s long overdue recognition and called upon it to repatriate Malaysians who faced the death penalty abroad.

“At this moment, let us also not forget the many hundreds of Malaysians who are languishing on death row in foreign countries, particularly for being drug mules … Having rejected the death penalty in this country, we now have the moral authority to fight for the lives of our citizens abroad.” – N Surendran, Adviser to Lawyers for Liberty

In a statement released earlier this evening, Lawyers for Liberty called on the Pakatan Harapan Government to undertake “urgent and strenuous” efforts to save Prabu’s life.

“On Oct 13, Deputy Foreign Minister Marzuki Yahya assured Malaysians that the government would come up with a solution for Malaysians facing execution abroad … We now urge the Malaysian government to make urgent and strenuous efforts to save Prabu from the gallows this Friday.”

Statement from Malaysian Law Minister

The de-facto Malaysian Law Minister Liew Vui Keong told reporters in Kuala Lumpur that he received news of Prabu’s imminent execution only this morning (24 October 2018) and shared that he intends to pen a letter to the Singapore Government to halt Prabu’s execution. He added that he plans to work with the Foreign Ministry on this issue. When asked what would happen if the execution were to be carried out, he replied “That will be a sad thing. I hope they won’t.”

During a speech to commemorate the 73rd anniversary of the United Nations Day, the Law Minister made a case for abolishing the death penalty and called upon the Singapore Government to save Prabu’s life. The speech was delivered to an audience that consisted of hundreds of diplomats, politicians and representatives from civil society.

In addition to Selamat Bin Paki and Ali Bin Mohamad Bahashwan who were executed earlier this morning at Changi Prison Complex, a total of four people may be hung in the space of 48 hours this week in Singapore. Barring the exceptional case of Kho Jabing, who was hung on Friday afternoon following a eleventh-hour appeal, this is the first time that an inmate is hung at a time other than the traditional execution time of dawn at Friday. The hanging of inmates on a Wednesday and the hanging of four people in the span of a week has not occurred before in recent history. While the Malaysian Government embarks on abolishing the death penalty, there seems to be a bloody rampage of sorts taking place across the causeway.

Irwan Bin Ali, a 43 year-old Singaporean is the other inmate who is set to be executed alongside Prabu on Friday. Irwan was first arrested on 26 April 2012 and found to be in possession of 2.5kg of diamorphine. At trial, Irwan challenged the admissability of his statements by arguing that Irwan was suffering from the severe effects of heroin withdrawal and therefore was agitated, in pain and troubled at the time statments were taken from him. At trial, one psychiatrist opined that Irwan was indeed suffering from acute drug withdrawal but another psychiatrist differed in his opinion and said that Irwan was only suffering form a milder form of chronic, as opposed to acute, drug withdrawal. Ultimately, the judge held that the chronic drug withdrawal did not impair Irwan’s state of mind sufficiently enough so as to affect the admissability and voluntariness of the incriminating statements. The Judge found that the accused was in possession of diamorphine and knew the nature of the drugs he was in possession of. Although it was not disputed that the accused was a mere courier (and therefore eligible to have his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment), as the Prosecution refused to give a certificate of co-operation to Irwan, the Judge did not have the option of commuting his sentence. He was sentenced to death on 9 September 2016

Candelight vigil to be held for Prabu and Irwan at Hong Lim Park

In Singapore, civil society group Community Action Network announced that permit has been given for a candlelight vigil to be held at Hong Lim Park at 7.30pm on 25 October for Prabu. More details about the event can be found at the following link.

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You May Also Like

拓终身护保范围 更灵活退休年金 – 网民吁改善社会保障机制

政府推出终身护保和公积金两大社会保障机制,为国民在紧急或突发变故陷入困境之际,拉起安全网渡过难关。新加坡公积金制度获世界经济论坛表扬,值得他国仿效借鉴。然而网民仍呼吁本国社会保障机制能继续改善,才能让真正有需要的人受惠。 随着社会人口老龄化、避免乐龄人士提早用光积蓄,终身入息计划的推出,鼓励国民在55岁时,可选择把公积金放入年金计划(CPF LIFE)直到65岁,依条件每月派生活费用,确保在晚年仍有一笔持续收入。 如今,公积金年金计划的最低储蓄额将在明年提高至17万6000新元,2020年则达到18万1000新元,相信政府在未来仍会逐步增加数额。 至于不足最低储蓄额者,则可作产业抵押,半额的最低储蓄额获保留(8万5千500新元),预计到65岁的每月收入如下: 720-770新元(8万5千500新元- 最低储蓄额半额) 1320-1410新元(17万1千新元-最低储蓄额) 1910-2060新元(25万6500新元- 存入最低储蓄额的1.5倍) 然而,公积金局并不是自动给付上述收入,在届满65岁前6个月,需通知公积金局,否则就将自动延续到70岁才开始获得每月收入。 不过,网民mentalchase认为可能只有21巴仙的公积金会员在55岁能够达到公积金最低储蓄额,而且还得算上5万4000新元的健保储蓄。这意味着,79巴仙的会员可能无法从中受惠。 “即使把派收入岁数延后到60岁,也无法改变普通民众收入在30年工作后也无法实现完全退休的事实。” 脸书用户Brian…

MOH refutes ex-DBS test analyst that she contracted COVID-19 at Changi Airport

It was reported earlier that a South Asian on Dependant Pass posted…

确认妹妹为加州失火游船乘客 死者胞姐社媒发布死讯

美国加利福尼亚州周一(9月2日)发生游船失火沉没事件,罹难者人数增加到34人,乘客名单中有两名新加坡,分别是26岁的女数据科研人员Tan Wei,以及46岁的男科学研究员苏尼尔(Sunil Singh Sandhu)。 Tan Wei的姐姐,29岁的Cheerin Tan对《亚洲新闻台》指出,她妹妹的名字出现在乘客名单中,但是不确定是否已经罹难。“我们确认她的名字在清单上,所以家人们都已经接受现实。我们都是潜水爱好者,我们知道类似情况发生后可能带来的结果。” 她昨日(9月5日)在脸书上公布了妹妹的死讯,并表示其兄长已经抵达当地,以便协助当局处理相关事宜。 “兄长已经提供了DNA样本,以帮助当局进行识别工作,目前正在等待结果。” 欣慰死者临终前进行最爱活动 Cheerin指出,他们一家热爱潜水运动,而死者更是他们中最活跃的一人,10岁就要参与潜水运动,家人甚至因此和他们一起进行刁曼岛潜水行。死者也在17岁时考获潜水执照,自立化中学毕业后就于2012年到美国密歇根大学就读化学工程系。 毕业后,死者也在毕业后曾工作两年,随后加州大学伯克利分校继续研读硕士学位至今年毕业。今年6月她刚搬到圣巴巴拉,开始从事数据科研人员的工作。…

国人最担忧罹癌 惟少于半数进行癌诊测

跨国医疗管理公司Medix公布一项问卷调查,探讨新加坡人民对于求诊和接受治疗的态度。几乎大部分受访群体对于个人健康持感到悲观,也惧怕被诊断出患有癌症。 许多新加坡人对征询第二意见和进行体检十分积极,也更渴望获得较个人化的治疗建议和选择。 研究显示,相比32巴仙的女性,有53巴仙男性更担心中风来袭;癌症则是两性最大的担忧,其次为心脏病(51巴仙)和糖尿病(44巴仙)。 少过半数人进行癌症诊测 这份问卷调查,乃是委托市场研究公司明略行(Millward Brown)。于2018年8月进行,透过网路采访600名年龄介于26至59岁、收入中等或中上的男性与女性。 虽然惧怕罹患癌症,但只有不到半数人会进行检测癌症的早期诊断。仅37巴仙女性受访者进行乳房和子宫抹片检查;此外,仅29巴仙受访者进行肝功能测试;21巴仙进行甲状腺功能检查。这种情况令人担忧。 Medix总裁Sigal Atzmon 认为,调查的重要发现,乃是民众恐惧罹患癌症,却对参与诊测欠积极。只有超过半数受访者找肿瘤专家咨询抗癌;此外,民众对于该采取哪些重要的步骤和如何选择合适的疗法,缺乏认知。 只有20巴仙人士知道,在进行治疗前需进行组织检验;仅12巴仙知道癌症分期(staging)用以判断癌症发展与扩散程度,两者都与抗癌成果和存活率息息相关。 不过,国人普遍愿咨询第二意见,也乐意善用新科技抗癌,惟Atzmon…