This piece of news has definitely shattered the hearts of Malaysians and surely the victim’s family right now!
Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, a mentally challenged young man has lost his high-profile appeal against a pending execution in Singapore, dismissing an argument put forward by his legal team that he should be spared because he was mentally impaired. The final decision was made by the judge panel in Singapore’s top court, the Court of Appeal today (29th March 2022).
During the hearing process, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said the bid to prevent the disclosure of medical reports was unreasonable and there was no admissible evidence showing any decline in his mental condition.
The court also dismissed the request for an independent psychiatric review. Former Lawyer M Ravi has taken to his Facebook page by stating:
“The Court of Appeal has just dismissed the application and considered the appeal an abuse of process and that international law does not apply. Nagaenthran who is mentally disabled is due to be hanged possibly in the next few days,” stated M. Ravi, who was part of Dharmalingam’s legal team.
It’s reported that from 2016 – 2019; A total number of 25 people have been hanged in Singapore and the majority were under drug-related offences.
Previously, the case has drawn global attention and advocacy by the Virgin Group founder and billionaire Richard Branson and our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had joined rights groups in calling for the prisoner to be spared capital punishment because of his low IQ of 69.
Nagaenthran Dharmalingam’s ordeal in Singapore’s criminal justice system exposes the fatal flaws of the death penalty: https://t.co/LkC1peCYRR #DeathPenalty #NagaenthranDharmalingam pic.twitter.com/p1zBBIyvt2
— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) November 8, 2021
Nagaenthran was caught crossing into Singapore from Malaysia with 43g (1.5oz) heroin strapped onto his left thigh in 2009. According to Singapore’s laws, those caught carrying more than 15g of heroin will be subject to the death penalty.
According to Pearls and Irritations, on 14th November, 2012, the Singapore Parliament approved the Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Act 2012 (Act 30 of 2012). The new amendments granted the court the authority to sentence a person guilty of a capital drug offence to life in prison in the following situations:
- Where the person was merely a courier and they had been issued with a certificate of substantive assistance by the public prosecutor; or
- Where the person was merely a courier and they were suffering from an “abnormality of the mind”.
Dharmalingam has spent a decade on death row and it’s reported that his condition further deteriorated.
