CJMY
Another Malaysian will be hanged for drug trafficking at Changi Prison, Singapore this Thursday, July 7
Rights group Sebaran Kasih said Kalwant Singh will be the next in line to be executed after Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam.
Nagaenthran’s execution case gained international attention as he was said to have had an IQ of 69 and was executed on April 27.
Finger pointing led to conviction in Singapore
Kalwant Singh, who grew up in Cameron Highlands, was convicted in 2016 for trafficking 60.15 grams of diamorphine.
He was 23 at the time of his arrest and convicted mainly on the testimony of a co-accused person.
According to a statement released by Lawyers for Liberty, Kalwant “has always maintained that he never knew that the bundles he was carrying were drugs.”
Activist Kokila Annamalai confirmed that Norasharee bin Gous, a Singaporean, has also been scheduled for execution on July 7. Norasharee is Kalwant’s co-accused.
“Many who’ve paid attention to Norasharee’s case believe his conviction is unsafe because he was found guilty almost solely based on the testimony of Yazid.
Yazid escaped the death penalty by pointing the finger at Norasharee and Kalwant.
Lawyers for Liberty is “strongly” urging Singapore “to comply with international law” and stop Kalwant’s scheduled execution and re-examine the death penalty policy.
It also urged Malaysia’s government to make urgent representations to Singapore on behalf of its citizens on death row.
Singapore’s long list of execution
In a Facebook post on June 30, activist Kirsten Han noted that Kalwant’s execution would be the seventh scheduled in 2022.
She listed the names of the men who have been scheduled for execution—”Roslan, Pausi, Rosman, Abdul Kahar, Nagaenthran, Datchinamurthy, and now Kalwant,”.
She also noted that only “Kahar and Nagaen’s executions went ahead.”
“The others have obtained stays or respite orders,” she added.
On March 30, Singapore performed its first execution in more than two years.
Singaporean Abdul Kahar bin Othman, 68, had been convicted on two charges of trafficking diamorphine in 2013 and was given the death penalty two years later.
The imposition of the death penalty for drug crimes has been declared by the UN to be in violation of international law and amounts to unlawful killing.
Malaysia has taken positive steps toward its eventual abolition, with the long-standing moratorium and the government’s undertaking to abolish the mandatory death penalty.
However, in contradiction to prevailing international norms, Singapore continues with its execution barrage,” the group added.
Rest in Peace, Kalwant
Kalwant Singh,31, was hanged this morning after the Singapore Court of Appeal dismissed the final appeal, yesterday.
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