Lawyers plead for clemency for mentally disabled man on Singapore death row

KUALA LUMPUR: An appeal for clemency has been submitted to the Singapore government to commute the death sentence on Malaysian Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam for drug trafficking.

Nagaenthran, who was convicted of trafficking in 42.72gm of diamorphine in 2011, is expected to be executed on Nov 10.

Several legal professional bodies, namely the Malaysian Bar, the Advocates Association of Sarawak and the Sabah Law Society, joined hands in pleading to the Singapore government not to proceed with the execution as Nagaenthran suffers from a mental disability.

Malaysian Bar president AG Kalidas said the plea was based on the fact that Nagaenthran’s mental capacity had diminished ever since he was convicted.

He noted that Nagaenthran had been diagnosed with a borderline intellectual disability with an IQ of 69.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Bar Human Rights Committee co-chair New Sin Yew called for the death penalty to be abolished.

“The death penalty should be abolished. It is something that we (Malaysian Bar) have been advocating for the past few decades and we will continue to do so, especially when it concerns Malaysians.

“This is something we hope Singapore will consider when it comes to the execution of Nagaenthran,” he told reporters after submitting the appeal at the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur this evening.

Malaysian Bar Constitutional Law Committee co-chair Andrew Khoo, had criticised the government’s lack of effort to intervene in Nagaenthran’s execution despite the fact that Malaysia supports the United Nations’ call for a moratorium on the death penalty.

“We have not heard from the government about any effort being undertaken to intervene in the execution. I think the government must convince fellow Asean governments on their approach and attitude towards the death penalty.”

Earlier today, DAP MP Kasthuri Patto urged the government to intervene and appeal to the Singapore government to stop the execution of Nagaenthran.

A petition to save Nagaenthran has also been launched on change.org and has garnered over 25,000 signatures at the time of writing.

Last week, human rights group Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network also urged the Singapore government to commute the death sentence of Nagaenthran.

Another rights group, Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), urged the government to make representations to the Singapore authorities to spare Nagaenthran from the gallows.

LFL adviser N Surendran said the government could lodge a report with the International Court of Justice.

Source: freemalaysiatoday.com, Hakimie Amrie Hisamudin, November 2, 2021

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