With less than 72 hours left on the clock before Nagaenthran’s imminent execution, it is vital that we remain unwavering in our mission to honour the lives of Naga and his family.
The Malaysian prime minister has personally appealed to Singapore for leniency towards Nagaenthran "purely on humanitarian grounds". In his letter addressed to Lee Hsien Loong, PM Ismail writes:
“As a lawyer myself, I know that the legal and judicial systems of Malaysia and Singapore share many similarities. I believe there is still room for the government of Singapore to consider granting a stay of execution and allowing for a new petition for presidential clemency in the case of Mr Nagaenthran a/l K Dharmalingam.”
MP Kasthuri Patto has also joined the chorus of protest, urging the Malaysian PM to “break protocol" and intervene in saving Nagaenthran’s life. As of last night, the Singapore government has yet to reply to the Malaysian Foreign Minister’s plea for clemency submitted a few days ago.
On the global front, news about our campaign to #SaveNagaenthran has spread prolifically to countries such as Japan, Spain, Philippines, the UK, and India. Malaysia Now has brought to attention Amnesty International’s proclamation that Singapore is “on the wrong side of history with its draconian drug laws”, while human rights group Lawyers for Liberty has condemned Singapore’s Home Ministry for “repeating baseless claims” and “lies in the style of Nazi-era propagandist Joseph Goebbels”.
Furthermore, Malaysian politician P. Ramasamy has voiced his views on Focus Malaysia to justify why Singapore should not impose the death penalty on Nagaenthran. Amongst numerous reasons, Ramasamy asserts that executions have not reduced the rates of drug trafficking, and contends that “the root of the problem is the existence of drug syndicates with powerful political connections.” According to him, Singapore has never approached laws from the point of justice, but rather for the sake of punishment, which is often class-biased and disproportionately penalises those from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
Similarly, The Star’s columnist Nathaniel Tan has pleaded for the Singapore government not to subscribe to the old-fashioned thinking that prioritises saving face over justice. He eruditely questions, “After all, which is the more clear and present danger? That by showing mercy, Singapore will suddenly be drowning in drug mules carrying in tablespoons of drugs at a time? Or that by refusing to show humanity, confidence in a government already perceived to have somewhat overstayed its welcome will continue to be shaken to its core?”
Abolitionist Kirsten Han has also released an update to her FAQ on the death penalty in Singapore. In it, she dispels the common myth that Singapore’s capital punishment regime keeps us safe, by pointing out that there’s no evidence that the death penalty works better than any other punishment in deterring crime. In fact, Singapore is an anomaly in this regard, as most of the world’s safest countries have long abolished the death penalty. Moreover, social justice advocate Kokila Annamalai has listed a myriad of alternatives to effectively combat drug trafficking: These deterrents revolve around rehabilitation, education, and social protections that ameliorate socioeconomic inequities.
Last night, Singapore artist Rachel Pang published a comic strip highlighting the inhumanity of capital punishment, and encouraging us to focus instead on addressing the underlying causes of poverty as a means to resolve the issue of drug trafficking.
In addition, human rights groups We Who Witness and Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture have both issued statements beseeching the Singapore government to halt Nagaenthran’s imminent execution. They have emphasised the need for Singapore’s criminal legal system to implement the latest standards and best practices relating to justice for persons with disabilities; and have called for an immediate moratorium on the death penalty in line with international obligations.
Tomorrow, the Singapore High Court is set to hear the constitutional challenge, in what could be the only legal avenue to save Naga’s life.
We shall not go gentle into that good night;
We shall rage, rage against the dying of the light.