MALAYSIAN death row inmate Pannir Selvam Pranthaman has been granted a stay of execution by the Singapore Court of Appeal just hours before he was scheduled to be executed today (Feb 20).
Judge of the Appellate Division Woo Bih Li granted the temporary reprieve pending the determination of Pannir’s Post-Appeal Applications in Capital Cases (PACC) application.
The Ipoh-born Pannir, 38, will now be able to make a PACC application under Section 60(G) of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1969 (SCJA) without it being set down for hearing.
This marks Pannir’s second ‘grand escape’ after the Singapore Court of Appeal had on May 23, 2019 granted him application to stay his execution and enable him to challenge the clemency process on the eve of his execution.
In the past 48 hours, several NGOs and government MPs have pleaded for the execution to be halted and for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to intervene.
Malaysiakini also reported of seven United Nations (UN) experts who joined the call to halt the execution while urging Malaysian authorities to support Pannir’s case.
Stay of execution
Woo in his 26-page judgment said he granted Pannir permission to make a PACC application on the grounds that he has a pending complaint with the Law Society of Singapore against his former counsel Ong Ying Ping as well as a pending determination of another case on constitutional challenge related to Singapore’s drug laws.
In arriving at the decision, Woo said he has considered Pannir’s affidavit and written submission on Feb 17 as well as his further written submissions on Feb 18.
Woo also considered the Attorney-General (AG)’s written submissions and the Senior Director in the Policy Development Division of the Home Ministry Sanjay Nanwani’s affidavit on Feb 18.
ICYMI: Seorang rakyat Malaysia, Pannir Selvam akan menjalani hukuman gantung di Singapura pada Khamis ini.
Keluarga beliau dan empat MP memohon campur tangan @anwaribrahim kerana Pannir hanyalah ‘keldai’ dadah, sedangkan anggota sindiket masih bebas. pic.twitter.com/X9snXDP22l
— Ili Aqilah 🍉 (@theiliaqilah) February 17, 2025
Recall that Pannir was convicted by the Singapore High Court on May 2, 2017 for the capital offence of importing 51.84gm of diamorphine into Singapore under Section 7 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1973 (MDA).
He was not granted a Certificate of Substantial Assistance (CSA) by the Public Prosecutor and was sentenced to the mandatory death penalty.
Since then, he had exhausted all legal avenues available under Singapore law.
Singapore’s PACC Act which came into effect on June 28, 2024 allows a prisoner awaiting capital punishment (PACP) to make post-appeal applications which can only be heard by the Court of Appeal.
The PACP must first apply for permission from the court to make a PACC application. If permission is granted, the PACC application must be made to the appellate court within three days from the date of approval.
The Court of Appeal will then determine the PACC application. – Feb 20, 2025
Main image credit: Bernama
