THE family of Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, a Malaysian who will be executed in Singapore this Friday for drug trafficking, has sent a final appeal for clemency to the republic’s president, Halimah Yacob.

They said Pannir never got his chance to go through a clemency process and urge the Malaysian government to speak to Singapore to spare his life.

“We have done everything we can to help save him. This morning, we have submitted a final clemency appeal to the President of Singapore Her Excellency Halimah Yacob,” Panir’s sister Sangkari Pranthaman said in a letter released through Lawyers for Liberty.

“We now make this open and urgent appeal to the Malaysian government to take this up with the Singapore government, to appeal for Pannir’s life.

“We know that in the new Malaysia, our government no longer approves of the death sentence for drug trafficking.

“The Malaysian government is Pannir and our family’s last hope. We implore Malaysian government to communicate and urge the Singapore government to halt Friday’s execution. Please give Pannir and our family a second chance.”

Pannir’s family received his execution notice last week, which also came with a letter informing them that clemency has been refused.

“Obviously, this can’t be right, and Pannir was not given his chance for clemency under the Singapore laws. 

“Neither did the Public Prosecutor give Pannir the certificate of assistance despite providing information to the authorities. This certificate can save his life and is his entitlement,” Sangkari said.

She also described Pannir as a good person, who is kind and selfless towards others.

“This may seem contradictory as he has been convicted. But this is the truth that we know and which keeps us alive and hoping.”

The 32-year-old Pannir was convicted on June 27, 2017, by the Singapore High Court of trafficking in 51.84g of diamorphine at the Woodlands Checkpoint on September 3, 2014. He had consistently denied that he was aware he was carrying prohibited drugs.

Last week, LFL took issue with Singapore’s handling of Pannir’s clemency request, noting that his family received the letter rejecting his request for clemency which was dated on the same day as his notice of execution, suggesting executive interference in the clemency process.

“The letter from Halimah refusing clemency is dated May 17, 2019, but the letter notifying family of the execution was posted out on May 16,” said LFL adviser N. Surendran.

“How can the prison proceed to execution prior to the date of refusal of clemency by the president? This is a serious and shocking irregularity that taints the entire clemency process.”

Surendran said it was clear from the “cavalier and irregular way in which the president’s office and Prison Services dealt with Pannir’s clemency that they intended to proceed with the execution all the while.

“They did not undertake the clemency process of this Malaysian citizen honestly or lawfully, and had thus breached his constitutional rights.”

Surendran also said Singapore was again executing a drug mule while traffickers escaped. – May 21, 2019.