Singapore has been the subject of intense discussions when it comes to the subject of death penalty, especially in the lead-up to the execution of Malaysian drug trafficker Nagaenthran Dharmalingam.
Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam also spoke about the practice, hinting at its importance in maintaining security.
Interestingly, a Malaysian man on death row was recently allowed to argue his case a day before his execution.
The Court of Appeal had apparently granted his request and he will now argue his case himself.
A press release by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) states that 31-year-old Kalwant Singh A/L Jogindar Singh is due to be executed on Thursday (7 Jul).
The Malaysian man was convicted of drug trafficking charges — for possessing at least 60.15 grammes of pure heroin and trafficking at least 120.90 grammes of diamorphine.
Kalwant was sentenced to capital punishment in 2016. His subsequent appeal against his conviction and sentences was also dismissed in the following year.
On Tuesday (5 Jul), Kalwant filed an application for a stay of execution. The Singapore judiciary website stated that the appeal hearing will be held on Wednesday (6 Jul) afternoon.
According to activist Kokilai Annamalai, Kalwant will be arguing his case himself.
For his earlier appeal, Kalwant argued that he did not know that the substance he was bringing in was heroin.
The Court of Appeal, however, disagreed with this claim and held up the High Court’s conclusion that he was cognisant of the heroin.
Across the Causeway, The Star reported that Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), a human rights organisation in Malaysia, recently called for Singapore to stop Kalwant’s execution.
Source: Learning From The Margins
LFL director Zaid Malek also described the death penalty as an “archaic and brutal form of punishment”.
“We strongly urge the government of Singapore to comply with international law and halt the hanging of Kalwant Singh as well as to review its imposition of the death penalty for drug crimes,” he said.
The debate surrounding the death penalty will continue to be a divisive subject in Singapore in the near future.
We wish Kalwant all the best for his appeal hearing, and most importantly, for the truth to prevail.
Whatever the eventual verdict is, we hope this serves as a timely reminder for everyone to stay away from drugs.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Learning From The Margins and MS News.
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