Latest: Singapore single mother awaits death row in Malaysia for drug trafficking. On the pretext of a business trip to China, Iqah was handed a suitcase containing heroin arranged by her Nigerian boyfriend and was arrested by Malaysian Immigration. A campaign is underway to raise funds for the appeal. To find out more, read

We have also heard that since Vui Kong's appeal started, there has been an unofficial stay of execution for all prisoners on death row in Changi Prison, pending the decision of the court on Yong's case. As the case has been dismissed by the Court of Appeal, we anticipate a Changi gallows bloodbath in a scale not seen since the Pulau Senang uprising in 1965 when 18 men were convicted of murder and hanged in a single Friday morning.

Singapore, which routinely persecute dissenters and critics, continue to hang young drug runners while at the same time work closely with Burmese military generals, and has invested billions in business ties with Burma, one of the biggest heroin manufacturing countries the world.

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If you know someone who's charged in a capital case, received the death sentence, or is on death row in Singapore and if you have have your side of the story to tell, contact us at sgdeathpenalty [at] gmail.com


Sunday, June 20, 2010

Death row case: Minister to meet Yong's lawyer


Susan Loone
Jun 19, 10
12:16pm

Yong Vui Kong, a Malaysian national currently on death row in Singapore, may finally be getting a shot at keeping his appeal alive, as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Aziz and our Ministry of Foreign Affairs have reportedly agreed to a meeting with his lawyer.

NONEM Ravi (left), a human rights lawyer representing Yong on a pro-bono basis, said the government has requested to meet him when he visits Kuala Lumpur next week, between June 25 and 29.

“They have requested that I write a formal letter to them, which I have just forwarded to the media. I will keep you informed of the developments,” said Ravi, in an SMS to Malaysiakini yesterday evening.

Ravi says the Singapore Malaysian High Commission's second secretary Rohani Hussain conveyed the request.

Ravi met with Rohani and Juraida Abd Jamil, the other second secretary from the Consular's officer, for about an hour in Hotel Hilton this morning to discuss Yong's case.

Rohani visited Yong, who was caught trafficking 47g of heroin into the island city in 2007, in Changi prison yesterday following media reports seeking Malaysia's intervention in the case

Duty to protect citizens

At the same time, Ravi said he is exploring with Malaysian lawyers to file an application in court for mandatory injunction to compel the Malaysian government to file a complaint in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

“This would be done if (Malaysia) fails in its duty to exercise its right to this vital legal remedy, which is available to our client via the ICJ,” he said.

NONE“We note with regret the de facto law minister of Malaysia's (Nazri) response, that the case was an internal matter. His remark was of grave concern to us, our client as well as the legal community and civil society in Malaysia,” he added.

“It is the duty of the Malaysian government to protect the rights of its nationals,” he stressed.

Ravi, in his letter to the High Commissioner, explained that Yong was making a clemency petition to the Singapore cabinet and President SR Nathan.

S'pore minister prejudiced case

His recourse for remedy was unfortunately pre-empted when Singapore Law Minister K Shanmugam made a remark about the latter's case even before he could file the clemency, said Ravi.

Ravi added that Shanmugam's remark has prejudiced Yong's relief to the clemency process.

“In our view, as well as based on the opinion of legal experts in London, this is a serious breach of due process. We would urge the Malaysian government to file a complaint at the ICJ on behalf of its national facing imminent death arising out of the breach of local and international laws by Singapore,” he said.

“In view of the denial of the clemency process, the only option available to the Singapore government is to commute Yong's death sentence, which is the same remedy that can be sought by the Malaysian government at the ICJ”.

On May 9, Shanmugam said publicly that “Yong Vui Kong is young, but if we say, we let you go, what is the signal we are sending?”

The island's legal experts said that these comment had potentially prejudiced an appeal before it had been decided in court, making Nathan's rejection of Yong's clemency appeal both “illegal and flawed”.

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