Yong Vui Kong: Time running out for young Malaysian on Singapore DR

Yong Vui Kong

Yong Vui Kong, 22, is a citizen of Malaysia who was arrested for the charge of trafficking 47 grams of heroin and sentenced to be hanged. Yong Vui Kong is just 22 years old and he was caught in Singapore. Malaysia is doing everything possible to save the young man’s life but so far the situation is not going in the right direction. Yong Vui Kong is due to be hanged on 26th of August.

The case is very complex and the petitions that are sent to the higher officials of Singapore are not yet being responded to. Before this Yong Vui Kong appealed through his Singapore lawyer M. Ravi that the death sentence that is ordered upon him is an absolutely wrong and unjust punishment and it goes against humanity. His appeal was heard in the court but later dismissed.

Now Yong Vui Kong is waiting for his fate and anything could happen any time. Though Malaysia is doing a lot to save this young man’s life they are not doing enough and not fast enough. There are just two days till the sentence is executed and till now even the clemency hasn’t been presented to the president.

Credit has to be given to the Malay authorities that the clemency initially required 100,000 signatures to make a difference in the case but due to the efforts of the people involved the amount of signatures has increased to 107,904. This is the highest amount of signatures that any clemency has ever received.

Click here to sign Yong Vui Kong's online clemency petition.

Source: InfoCuts, August 24, 2010

Strong Case For World Court

Kota Kinabalu: The Malaysian Government should refer to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) "the breach of due process" committed by Singapore's Law Minister on the case of Sabahan Yong Vui Kong, who faces certain death if his second clemency petition to the republic's President is rejected.

Singapore lawyer for Yong, M. Ravi (left), told Daily Express that taking such a bold step, instead of a mere diplomatic note, may be the only means left that would make a big difference to the fate of Yong, who was still a lad of 18 when arrested for drug possession over there.

Yong, 22, who was convicted of drug trafficking, is due to be hanged anytime after Aug. 26.

"The Malaysian Government should take immediate and appropriate steps to safeguard the life of its citizen. It must first register a diplomatic note to Singapore on this breach of due process that was committed by no less than the republic's Law Minister and take this matter to the International Court.

"The prejudicial remarks on the case made by the Law Minister was a very serious breach as Yong had already been deprived of the right to an impartial clemency hearing," he told Daily Express by phone, Monday.

On July 30 this year, Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman sent a letter of appeal for clemency for Yong to the Singapore Foreign Ministry to spare Yong's life.

Earlier, Yong had appealed through Ravi, that the mandatory death penalty was inhuman and any legislation that prescribes that penalty as the punishment for an offence violates the right to life as set out in Article 9(1) of the Constitution. His appeal was heard by the Court of Appeal and dismissed on May 14 this year.

However, on May 9, 2010, and before the Court of Appeal gave its verdict (May 14, 2010), the Law Minister of Singapore, K. Shanmugam, made the following statement, which was published in the Singapore Straits Times.

"Yong Vui Kong, (who was sentenced to hang for trafficking 47gm of heroin) he is young. But if we say, 'We let you go', what's the signal we're sending? We're sending a signal to all drug barons out there: just make sure you choose a victim who's young or a mother of a young child and use them as the people to carry drugs into Singapore."

Ravi added: "They even said that the President of Singapore doesn't have the power to grant pardon even before Yong had filed his first clemency petition."

It was stated in a "Save Vui Kong" campaign material that pursuant to Article 22P of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, the power to grand pardon lies with the President, with the advice of the Cabinet.

However, the Attorney-General Walter Woon is on record as saying that "although in theory it is the President who exercises the prerogative of mercy, in fact, it is the Cabinet that makes the decision".

Despite all that, Ravi said Yong has a right to again seek for clemency from the President for the second time. The last date for Yong to file his second clemency petition falls on Aug. 26 (Thursday).

The Singapore lawyer, who visited Yong last week and would see him again this Wednesday (Aug 26), reiterated that Yong could be the best anti-drug campaigner for Singapore.

"Even in prison, he leads by example by telling other young people the lesson he has learned and to avoid the road that leads to destruction."

On whether Yong is resigned to his fate, Ravi said the former hoped that with his second clemency petition, the Singapore Government would relent.

"But this is not easy as Singapore is merciless."

Asked how Yong was coping in prison, he said : "He has reformed: the State can see this. He is now imparting Buddhism to other convicts and even to some prison wardens at every opportunity."

What astounded him was Yong's increased proficiency in languages like Malay, English and Chinese, given his Primary Four schooling background.

"He improved by leaps and bounds; he even has a Chinese-English Technical Dictionary. Such improvement reflects the talent within him but this talent was wasted all those years. Now he is in prison, what is the point?"

Ravi continued: "Very sad, Yong lived in poverty. The inequity in social structure led his astray. He is a victim of social inequity.

And he is from a broken family, so he lost that opportunity."

Earlier this year, Ravi flew to Sandakan to visit Yong's old home at Kg Sungai Manila, which had been left vacant since the family disintegrated.

Yong had left the place at 10 in pursuit of a job to support himself.

The lawyer was taken to the place by Sandakan Campaign Co-ordinator, Stephen Wong and Yong's paternal uncle and his wife.

What amazed the Singapore lawyer was his unexpected encounter with Yong's personal belongings kept in a cupboard.

"Those were his old school uniforms, shirt, shorts, textbooks and even exercise books. From the score in his books, it is clear that Yong had a zest for Mandarin and Mathematics.

"I brought these items to Singapore and showed them to the media, still intact 12 years down the road. How many mothers would keep their children's things nicely and leave them untouched!" he remarked.

Meanwhile, as at 4.30pm, Monday (Aug. 23), a total of 107,904 signatures had been collected from the Online Petition and Sign Petition in the "Save Vui Kong" campaign.

Malaysian lawyer Cik Ngeow Chow Ying, who is the National Campaign Co-ordinator, said the figure exceeded the target of 100,000 signatures.

"The breakdown is: 43,466 from Sabah, 32,719 from West Malaysia and 312 from Singapore. Online signatures numbered 31,407 (both Singapore and Malaysia).

"At 9.30am Tuesday (Aug. 24), we will go to the Istana and present the clemency petition (Give Yong Vui Kong a second chance to help Singapore's Anti-Drug Trafficking Policy), and all the signatures to the President of the Republic of Singapore, S.R. Nathan, collectively," she said when contacted.

The online petition was initiated by Ravi, who reckoned that the total figure (107,904) was the highest in the history of Malaysian clemency cases.

Member of Parliament for Tawau, Datuk Chua Soon Bui, who arrived in Singapore on Sunday, said of the more than 43,000 signatures from Sabah, about 30,000 were from Sandakan, 10,000 from Tawau and the rest from Kota Kinabalu, Lahad Datu and other towns.

She attributed this to the hard work put in by Sandakan Campaign Co-ordinator, Stephen Wong and his team.

Source: Daily Express, August 24, 2010

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