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Japan | Hakamada found religion, but then felt under attack by ‘the devil’

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Editor's note: This is the last in a four-part series on letters that Iwao Hakamada wrote while on death row. About a decade after cursing God, Iwao Hakamada was baptized Catholic at the Tokyo Detention House on Dec. 24, 1984. “Since I have been given the Christian name Paul, I am keenly feeling that I should be aware of the greatness of Paul.” (June 1985)

Wisma Putra pleads for Sabahan Yong Vui Kong on Singapore death row

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The Foreign Ministry sent a letter to the Singapore government last week to plead for clemency for young Sabahan Yong Vui Kong, who was sentenced to death in the city state for drug trafficking.

Deputy Foreign Minister A. Kohilan Pillay told senator Datuk Saripah Aminah Syed Mohamed that the letter from Wisma Putra was addressed to the President of Singapore for his consideration.

"Yong's family had also written to the President of Singapore," he said.

Yong, 22, was convicted on Jan 7 last year for trafficking in 47gm of diamorphine, a capital offence under the Singaporea Misuse of Drugs Act.

Yong was arrested on June 13, 2007. He was 18 when he committed the offence.

The last day for Yong to file his petition for clemency is Aug 26, after which he may be hanged at any time.

In his reply, Kohilan also said 2 Malaysians, convicted of drug trafficking in China and Japan respectively, had their sentences reduced.

In the case of Umi Azlim Mohammad Lazim, who was also sentenced to death by a High Court in Guangzhou, China, her death sentence was reduced to life imprisonment.

The former Universiti Malaysia Sabah student from Kelantan was found guilty of trafficking in 2.983kg of heroin in Shantao airport, and was sentenced to death on May 15, 2007 at the age of 23.

In the case of Raja Munirah Iskandar Shah, who was convicted of trafficking in 690.8g of syabu in Narita International Airport in 2006 at the age of 21, her sentence was reduced from 7 years and four months to 6 years and 9 months.


Source: The Star, July 28, 2010
Location: Singapore
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