The existence of capital punishment in Singapore has been the centre of debate for a long time. While activists were up in arms over the case of Nagaenthram Dharmalingam, another death row inmate was sent to the gallows.
68-year-old Abdul Kahar Bin Othman passed away yesterday (30 Mar) following an execution, 7 years after his death sentence in 2015.
In light of his passing, emotional tributes have poured in, shedding light on the life of a man few people knew about.
According to The Guardian, Abdul Kahar was charged with two counts of trafficking diamorphine in 2013. The court imposed the death penalty on him in 2015.
On Wednesday (30 March), he was executed by the state.
His execution was apparently the first in Singapore in over two years. Previous instances were in 2019, when Singapore reportedly executed four death row inmates.
Besides Abdul Kahar, seven other inmates have received an execution notice since 2019, notes Transformative Justice Collective, a collective that campaigns for reforms of Singapore’s legal system. Among them is Malaysian Nagaenthram Dharmalingam.
The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Office had earlier called for a stop to Abdul Kahar’s execution, especially in light of the “surge in execution notices”.
They had apparently requested the authorities to sentence Abdul Kahar to a jail term instead, cited The Guardian. Unfortunately, their appeals were in vain.
Following Abdul Kahar’s execution, tributes began pouring in from activists on social media.
One Facebook post claimed that he had a rough childhood, describing the deceased at one point as a “struggling teenager who was punished mercilessly when [he] desperately needed help, care and protection.”
Having lost his father at a young age, his family struggled financially, and Abdul Kahar battled with addiction throughout his teenage years, The Guardian quoted activist Kirsten Han, who had interviewed the deceased’s family.
Despite their challenges, Abdul Kahar was apparently “a gentle older brother, a doting uncle, a loving son”. His passing will thus be absolutely heartbreaking for his loved ones.
A more elaborate account of his life is available on Transformative Justice Collective’s page here.
In his last interaction with his family, Abdul Kahar had allegedly told them that he wanted to live, noted both Han and Facebook user Kokila.
Kokila also brought up the sobering fact that the last people who ever touched him while he was alive were the ones walking him to the gallows and tightening the noose around his neck.
Her heartfelt tribute ended with her promise that she would remember his precious life and “stand up taller” for others like him.
Han echoed the sentiment in a sombre Twitter thread, where she reflected on Singapore’s capital punishment regime.
Together with some friends, she lit up tea lights outside Changi Prison to honour the late Abdul Kahar and his story.
Despite the sadness surrounding Abdul Kahar’s case, there may still be folks who feel that capital punishment should remain.
At the end of the day, the final decision rests in the hands of the authorities.
However, with persistent calls for change not just locally but also globally, perhaps there’s still hope for reform.
Till then, our thoughts go out to the families of the inmates on death row. We hope they’ll find the strength to keep going.
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Featured image adapted from Transformative Justice Collective and Facebook.
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