Singapore is set to hang yet another Malaysian on July 7, for drug trafficking.

The convict this time is Kalwant Singh, 32, who has been languishing in prison for the last nine years, for being in possession of 60.15gm of diamorphine and trafficking 120.9gm of the drug into the island republic.

News portal Free Malaysian Today (FMT) quoted Singaporean rights activist Kirsten Han saying that Kalwant's sister Sonia and niece Kellvina were even denied the chance by the authorities to visit Kalwant earlier this month, after two years of being unable to meet him due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"When they finally got to Singapore, they asked if they could be allowed an extra visit on Tuesday as visits for death row prisoners were usually on Saturday or Monday but (they) were refused," the portal Han as saying in a series of tweets, citing a video posted by Singaporean reform group Transformative Justice Collective.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (Adpan), in a statement, said that Singapore's eagerness to pursue executions for drug offences was a "flagrant disregard for the right to a fair trial."

"Both the trial court and Court of Appeal found that Kalwant and his co-accused were acting as nothing more than couriers,” Adpan said, adding that the co-accused was even granted a certificate of substantive assistance by police and sentenced to life in prison and 15 strokes of the cane, while Kalwant was sent to the gallows.

Thus, the group called on Singapore to halt Kalwant's impending execution and impose a moratorium on further executions in the country.

It is worth noting that Malaysian Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam was hanged in Singapore on April 27 for drug trafficking, amid international backlash.


Source: FMT
Photo source: FMT & Tribune India