HUMAN rights NGO, the Malaysians Against Death Penalty & Torture (MADPET) is aghast with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who displays “no compassion” towards Malaysians at threat of being executed in other countries – the most at risk being Pannir Selvam Pranthaman in Singapore.
This is because PMX has reportedly said he did not wish for disgraced former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak to suffer in prison like he himself did following his two sodomy convictions.
Contrast this with Ipoh-born Pannir Selvam, 38, who is on the Changi Prison death row for heroin trafficking, He was arrested in 2014 and sentenced to death three years later but was granted a stay of execution in 2019, one day before he was to be hanged.
The third of six children to a pastor and lorry driver father and a housewife mother had had the Singapore Court of Appeal dismissed his application to start judicial review proceedings which were resumed at the end-March 2022 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Has the Malaysian government done its best to prevent Malaysians from being executed in foreign countries, including in Singapore?” asked MADPET co-founder Charles Hector in a media statement.
“Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has stated that 74 Malaysians have been sentenced to death abroad for drug trafficking offences with death sentences being carried out in Brunei, China, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
“The PM and the government must tell us what was done for these Malaysians at risk of being deprived of life, and also the response of these nation states with regard to Malaysia’s endeavours to save life.”
Given that death row prisoners in Singapore can now be hanged to death speedily after being given a just a four-day execution notice, Hector stressed the urgency for PMX to act swiftly to save the lives of Pannir Selvam and other Malaysians in similar situation.
“The government cannot afford to procrastinate,” reminded the human rights activist and lawyer. “Singapore has also amended its laws that makes it even more difficult to those at risk of executions to file court applications.”
Added Hector: “Malaysia also has the International Transfer of Prisoners Act 2012 and relevant treaties with countries where Malaysians are currently at risk of being sentenced to death like the Singapore-Malaysia Prisoner Transfer Treaty to bring back the prisoners to Malaysia.
‘Given that Malaysia at present has a moratorium on executions, this can keep ALIVE Malaysians in other jurisdictions who are about to be executed by bringing them back to Malaysia.
“As Chair of ASEAN, MADPET hopes that Malaysia will move the regional grouping to also impose a moratorium on execution pending abolition of the death penalty.” – Feb 10, 2025
Main image credit: Amnesty Malaysia/Instagram
