Singapore being ‘arrogant’ in justifying Malaysian’s hanging, says lawyers’ group

Updated 6 years ago · Published on 23 Nov 2019 10:37AM · 5 Comments

Lawyers for Liberty advisor N. Surendran says Singapore is being arrogant and undiplomatic when it accused Malaysia of not doing enough to combat drug crimes. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, November 23, 2019.

A LAWYERS’ group has called Singapore “breathtakingly arrogant” for telling Malaysia to improve anti-drug enforcement after it executed a Malaysian drug mule.

Lawyers for Liberty advisor N. Surendran said it seems as if that Singapore is taking an undiplomatic swipe at a friendly neighbour by suggesting that Malaysia is not doing enough to put drug kingpins behind bars.

“It is intended to hide the fact that Singapore itself has done little to catch the drug kingpins, while regularly executing low-level drug mules. It is significant that Singapore is unable to point to a single major drug kingpin arrest by their own enforcement bodies,” he said in the statement

Abd Helmi Ab Halim was hanged at Changi Prison. He was arrested on April 9, 2015, and was sentenced to death for trafficking 16.56g of diamorphine on March 24, 2017.

His plea for clemency was rejected in July.

Surendran also said Singapore’s stance that the death penalty is an effective deterrent against drug trafficking is a blatant lie as there are no statistics and evidence to support this claim.

He also said using the death penalty on drug crimes contravenes international standards and that he has obtained evidence of Singapore’s “brutal” execution methods.

“The UN Human Rights Committee as well as UN Special Rapporteurs have categorically stated that the death penalty for drug crimes contravenes international standards and amounts to unlawful killing.

“Finally, we have also received shocking information relating to the process of execution at Changi prison. We have incontrovertible evidence that unlawful and extremely brutal methods are secretly used in carrying out hangings by the Singapore Prison Services (SPS). We are prepared to reveal this evidence, supplied by prison officers, in due course,” he said.

He urged the Singaporean government to follow Malaysia’s footsteps by placing an immediate moratorium on executions for drug offences and reviewing the imposition of capital punishment for such crimes. 

“We hope Singapore will do so before we are compelled to disclose the above-mentioned evidence, which will prove to be an international embarrassment for them,” he said.

“By ignoring these norms and standards, Singapore is rapidly becoming an international pariah nation,” he added. – November 23, 2019.

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Comments

  • Try telling the US to sanction Singapore because of the latter's human rights abuse per your claim. Singapore has the right to protect its Rakyat. Execution has not stopped drugs going in. What if there is no execution laws? More drugs???

    Posted 6 years ago by Concerned Citizen · Reply

    • If no death penalty, you can bet the drug cartel will send even more drug mules ovee there

      These social activists sometimes need to pull their head out od their own buttholes and breath in what everyone else is breathing !!! Maybe then common sense will start to pop in their head again!!!

      Posted 6 years ago by Your Grandpa · Reply

  • Surendren is better off keeping his mouth shut. Spore will not listen to him n rightly so.

    Posted 6 years ago by Lipdah Lia · Reply

  • Surendren is better off keeping his mouth shut. Spore will not listen to him n rightly so.

    Posted 6 years ago by Lipdah Lia · Reply

  • You keep attacking Singapore over their implementation of their own laws but call them arrogant for responding to your provocation? Get real.

    Posted 6 years ago by A Subscriber · Reply