Greetings, supporters from all around the world!

This 11/11, our campaign to #SaveNagaenthran is serving as a catalyst which could potentially galvanise a paradigm shift within our criminal justice systems: Former Malaysian Law Minister Nazri Aziz has called for an immediate review of the death sentences for drug traffickers in Malaysia. In light of Nagaenthran's stay of execution, Nazri asserted that it is hypocritical for Malaysia to continue to sentence drug traffickers to death, yet appeal for clemency for Malaysians who have been given the capital punishment in other countries for similar offences. 

In addition, anti-death penalty activist Kokila Annamalai has relayed to us a heartfelt message from Nagen’s younger brother Navin:

"Thank you for all your support, for being people we could depend on in our darkest time. We appreciate so much that you took time out of your busy days to help with saving our brother and son, Nagen. What your support means to us can’t be described in words, it can only be felt. We will keep praying for Nagen and hope for the best. We hope our brother and son will come home to us soon.

We didn’t even think it was possible to come and see Nagen, with all the costs involved, because we’re not a rich family. We were only able to see him because of all the generous support we received from all of you.”

“We are deeply indebted to everyone who has supported our family. This world that has rallied together for us, the lawyers, those who contributed toward the costs of our stay, those who kept in touch with us, we will be forever indebted. We don’t even know your names, but you made sure we were looked after. Even amid this nightmare, we felt so cared for. You shared your time, and you shared in our pain too. We know this has caused stress and grief for many of you too.”

In a draft affidavit seen by The Sydney Morning Herald, Navin also recounted how he had witnessed a significant deterioration of Nagaenthran’s mental health. He described Nagaenthran as “very disoriented”, and said he took three-hour baths each day which showed an “unsound mind”. In light of observations of his potential psychosis, Simone Abel, chief executive of the Capital Punishment Justice Project, emphasised the imperative need for  Nagaenthran to be given an urgent and independent psychiatric assessment to determine his competency to be executed.

Malaysian lawyer N Surendran corroborated Navin’s observations, commenting that “[Nagen] doesn’t really get what is happening. He has some vague idea that something is going to happen to him on the 10th of November but he thinks he is going to go to a beautiful garden and be happy there. It’s beyond words.”

With the stay of execution granted, we also have some time to catch our breaths and reflect on the recent affairs which have occurred in our bid to #SaveNagaenthran. Journalist and abolitionist Kirsten Han has released an update summarising the major events which have transpired in the past two weeks since the public learned of Naga's impending execution. Amongst other things, she lists the crowd initiative which raised over $20,000 for Naga’s family, the protests and vigils in Malaysia, and the statements issued from international NGOs. “Everything feels surreal, even a little bit ludicrous. I’m glad and relieved, but also horrified and anxious,” she relates. “Nagen's case has, in a shorter amount of time, drawn more public support and international attention than all the other death row cases I've worked on since 2010.”

Here's some excerpts from her hand-delivered letter addressed to President Halimah Yacob: 

“I appeal to you for mercy not just on Nagaenthran’s behalf, but also his family’s. Although they have committed no crime, the family of people on death row are also subject to severe punishment on multiple levels, from financial burdens and stressors to devastating mental and emotional trauma. It is a constant pain to live with the thought of a loved one on death row, where, despite being healthy and often young, they exist in the shadow of death.”

“Executing Nagaenthran will have little effect on the drug trade in Singapore; he is not a high-value member of a drug syndicate, and his life matters little to those who are truly profiting from this illicit industry. As a tiny pawn in a larger enterprise, Nagaenthran has long been abandoned by the real drug lords and tycoons; executing him would merely demonstrate that we as society have chosen to sacrifice him too. I believe that we can be and do much better, and that a show of mercy will benefit not just Nagaenthran and his family, but also demonstrate that our society is willing and capable of showing compassion and care over anger and violence.”

SG Climate Rally, a movement to raise awareness about the climate crisis, has also released a clemency statement  signed by Environmentalists. Their statement elucidates an intersectional perspective to climate change:

“As Environmentalists, we stand for life. When we fight for the planet, we fight for all the life it harbours, including Nagaenthran’s. We recognise that the death penalty, like the climate crisis, disproportionately impacts marginalised communities.”

“It is therefore incumbent on all of us to recognise these inequalities today and do what we can to reduce them. When we reduce inequality and centre the most marginalised among us in all our decision-making processes, everyone else does better.

We believe that a just transition must not only mean a reorientation to how we treat our planet, but also to how we treat one another. If we accord dignity and sanctity to life, we must do so unconditionally. Nagaenthran deserves to live, just as every life does.”

This Saturday, a solidarity event as part of the campaign to #SaveNagaenthran will be held on Facebook live. Ram, a member of Transformative Justice Collective (TJC) who has survived the prison system after being convicted of drug trafficking, will be shedding light on the stories of couriers, and why Nagen, like him, deserves to be free and with his family again. 

According to TJC, drug users and couriers are often talked about, but hardly ever allowed to speak directly for themselves because of the extreme censure, stigma and dehumanising narratives that surround drugs in Singapore. “It is time to stop talking over this community and instead listen deeply and respectfully to the lived experiences of drug users and couriers in Singapore”, TJC urges. (Click here to find out more details about the event.)

The fight to #SaveNagaenthran is unfortunately not over. We must not lose momentum. Naga's family counts on us to keep up the pressure, and to keep campaigning until he is safe from execution and released into the loving arms of his family. 

The petition has now surpassed 80k signatures. We can get to 100,000, and then half a million. Speak to those around you, form collectives - as students, workers, mothers, Malaysians, Indians - and make your voices heard. Deliver letters to the Istana. Write to your MPs and the Cabinet. Organise mini-campaigns. Reach out to Transformative Justice Collective if you want to get involved in the movement to abolish the death penalty. (Statement adapted from Kokila's latest Facebook post.)