FAMILIES of Malaysians on death row in Singapore are hoping their loved ones could serve their sentences in Malaysia instead of being executed in the city-state.

They said it was costly to travel back and forth to visit their loved ones, and to initiate legal actions there. 

They told The Malaysian Insight that they had to spend hours travelling by road to Singapore, only to be allowed to meet their loved ones for less than an hour. 

Angelia Pranthaman, 28, the sister of Malaysian death row prisoner Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, said it was a burden financially for her to visit.

“Of course it is a burden to travel every now and then but the moment we see him, we are happy,” she said. 

Pannir, 34, was convicted in Singapore for trafficking in heroin in 2017. 

He had failed in his application to initiate a challenge against his death sentence. 

He was granted a stay of execution in 2019 and had his judicial review application rejected by the Singaporean Court of Appeal last year. 

In his appeal, Pannir had contended that information he provided to the Singapore authorities was crucial to their eventual arrest of another trafficker named Zamri Mohd Tahir, and as such should be granted a certificate of substantive assistance. 

According to Angelia, Pannir was working as a security officer in Singapore and only got involved in drugs when he quit his job while waiting for a new one. 

“He was unemployed for close to a month, and during that period of time he was involved in gambling and through that he met a lot of bad company. 

“One of the guys he met managed to manipulate him and made him bring drugs from Johor to Singapore, which is how Pannir got caught,” said Angelia, who is a self-employed insurance agent. 

Angelia also said Pannir had seen another Malaysian death row convict Nagaenthran Dharmalingam in Changi Prison. 

“Pannir always told me that Naegenthran was very odd from the beginning, where he would stare at the wall for hours. 

“Pannir also said that Nagaenthran would also take showers for the longest time,” she said. 

Nagaenthran, 34, was executed on April 27 despite pleas for clemency because he was intellectually impaired. His last-minute legal appeals were rejected. 

He was arrested in April 2009 and sentenced to death in 2011 under the Misuse of Drugs Act, for illegally importing 42.7g of diamorphine. 

Angelia said that Pannir had written and dedicated a poem to Nagaenthran just before his execution.

She added her brother had also explained during her recent visit on how all the inmates were very disturbed after Nagaenthran’s execution as it was carried out on the same floor, not too far from their cells, and was audible.

Too expensive to travel

Meanwhile, the sister of another Malaysian death row convict Kalwant Singh said while she was aware of her brother’s crime, she could not accept the mandatory punishment.

“It would be great for us to have him back in Malaysia to continue serving his sentence here. 

“It will be easier for us to visit him and also it will be more helpful financially as it is way too expensive to travel to Singapore,” said Tarlochan Kaur, 40. 

She added that Kalwant was the father figure in the family after their father’s death. 

“I’m a single mother and my kids have always looked up to Kalwant. He has always been there for them but now he is no longer beside us,” she said. 

Tarlochan, who is from Cameron Highlands, said her family were also clueless on how to help their brother. 

“We are trying our best to seek help from anyone who is willing but we just don’t know how to do it apart from through our lawyers.” 

According to her, Kalwant is very close to Pannir and also Datchinamurthy Kataiah, another Malaysian whose execution was stayed at the 11th hour late last month pending his legal fight. 

Datchinamurthy was charged with smuggling 44.96g of diamorphine into Singapore in 2011 and sentenced to death in 2015. 

Another family member of a death row victim in Singapore said their family could no longer afford to visit their son in Singapore. 

“We are not a well-to-do family, hence we could not afford to go visit him.

“It would be great if he is allowed to continue his sentence back here in Malaysia, which will at least give us the chance to visit him,” said the family member.

Nine waiting to be hung

Since 2010, a total of 14 Malaysians have been on the death row in Singapore – 11 Indians, followed by Malays (2) and a Chinese. 

Meanwhile, Malaysians made up 13 out of the 37 offenders who have had their convictions or sentences overturned on appeal.

According to reports, the nine are in line to be executed soon. They are:

1. Yu Ching Thai

Yu was 30 when he was charged with trafficking and sentenced to death on May 24, 2012.

2. Kalwant Singh Jogindar Singh

Kalwant was convicted by the Singapore High Court after a joint trial involving various charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act for trafficking in 120.9g of diamorphine.

3. Pannir Selvam Pranthaman

Convicted in Singapore for trafficking heroin in 2017, Pannir had failed in his application to initiate a challenge against his death sentence.

4. Rahmat Karimon, 32

On May 27, 2015, Rahmat, 32, delivered a green bag to one Zainal Hamad, who handed him money in exchange. He was arrested and the bag was found to contain not less than 53.64g of heroin. Rahmat was arrested at the Woodlands checkpoint.

5. Saminathan Selvaraju

Saminathan was found trafficking in 301.6g of diamorphine with two others in 2013.

6. Lingkesvaran Rajendaren

On May 24, 2016, Lingkesvaran, 30, delivered a bundle wrapped in black tape to an accomplice at the void deck of Block 289 Yishun Avenue 6. The bundle contained not less than 1.37kg of powdery substance that was analysed and found to contain not less than 52.77g of diamorphine.

7. Tamil Selvam Yagasvranan

Caught in 2017 with two others, Tamil, 35, was charged with trafficking in 19.42g of diamorphine on February 8, 2017 and sentenced to death in 2019.

8. Punithan Ganesan

Punithan, 38, was the first man to be sentenced to death virtually through Zoom proceedings in May 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

9. Datchinamurthy Kataiah

He was previously slated to be executed at the end of last month, merely two days after Nagaenthran met the gallows. He however managed to obtain a stay of execution from the Singapore High Court at the 11th hour pending his legal suit against the Singapore government over his death sentence. – May 9, 2022.