This is sad, and it is bad, but it is a TOUGH STAND on drug trafficking.
However, it would be good to CHANGE the execution method to Lethal Injection as it is deemed to be more HUMANE.
God have mercy on him…

The petition of only 100 signatures is not strong enough. The initiator of the petition should have collected at lease 3000 signatures before he/she submitted it to the President.

In addition, he/she should have tried to make contact with and appeal to certain key people surrounding or ‘advising’ the President in order to make the Petition and the Appeal more significant.

Nonetheless, I believe this case should be given special considerations because:

1. The convict was only 19 when he committed the crime.

2. The convict is a young Singaporean, who if given a second chance, is likely to repent and become a useful contributor to society..

3. Tracing and arresting the king-pin behind the drug trafficking is more important than putting to death a small-time drug courier who could have been coerced, induced or mislead into committing such a crime because of his youthful recklessness that could have led to his lack of consideration for his own life at the point in time.

4. While the small fries are being severely and cruelly punished, their really evil drug lords and masters are left free to operate in the underworld of drug trafficking totally unharmed. This does not speak well of authorities who insist and inflict capital punishment upon the weaker link in the whole business of illegal drug trafficking. This is tantamount to bullying. If our laws, law enforcers and judiciary are seen as big bullies, they are actually not different from, or worse than, the evil drug lords.

5, By punishing only the lower link without going full force to arrest, charge and punish the more heinous and sinister criminals (the drug lords) out there, the law enforcers and authorities are indirectly colluding and cooperating with those drug lords by giving them free reign to operate their evil drug trades, albeit hypocritically doing something to curb the evil drug trades by “punishing” the middle men vigorously. Therefore, capital punishment for the small-time drug traffickers is nothing but just a legal farce, an exercise in futility.

It is high time to stop killing/murdering these lesser souls and start rethinking over the whole strategy of countering the ever-expanding drug trades.

No point bluffing ourselves and the world at large.

Gentler, Kinder society, Goh Chok Tong? my foot.

number 2, i think you should write a letter to the president

Looking at past statistics, the foregone conclusion is going to be the same.

Unless he is the son of a big shot, I don’t think that the appeal committee will even bother to give any serious thought to his appeal. Remember how easy it was some ex-NMP’s son was given a slap on the wrist for some drug trafficking related offences.

And definitely our govt is not going to give any benefit to the accused given now that the appeal lawyer is Ravi. Our vindictive govt is infamous for that, I think.

I am still wondering why some offenders could be charged with possessing 14.99 grams of heroine after “in-depth” testing of the drug.

Remember the Germany girl who was given the light sentence of 3 years with this treatment? Many non-white, including Africans and locals, were not so lucky.

Thanks to LKY, this practice of double-standard has helped to send many of the 19, 20 years old to the gallows.

its really wierd…because we only manage to execute the drug runners, most of them who are desperate, owe huge amounts of money and only do it because there is no alternative. How many sane people would actually resort to trafficking drugs through Singapore ???

Meanwhile the big bosses launder the money through our banks and get away with it. When the hell are they going to take investigations further and infiltrate these overseas groups?

Is there a conspiracy to kill off the links to the bosses ?

All you people who support this penalty should really take a hard look at yourselves and think whether you have the right to take people’s lives. It is because its you who support the death penalty that gives the courts the freedom to execute people who do not have the luxury to a good life.

Why don’t we go after the actual drug lords in Myanmar instead of their many mules. I get the impression these ringleaders’ money flows through Singapore banks??

We roll out the red carpet for the real drug producers. Yes, we let them into S’pore to seek medical treatment and invite them to luxurious State dinners.

Heck, we even named an Orchid after one of these producers.

In the meantime, we pretend that we’re “protecting” our society by hanging the ikan bilis runners.

Maybe in 40 years, Lee Hsien Loong will admit that he has blood on his hands. Lots of blood.

[...] Discourse – Gerald Giam’s Blog: Was our phenomenal GDP growth worth selling our soul for? – TOC: Lawyer for death-row inmate denied access to client – Mathia Lee: NKF in the red & Sustainable Charities: Good people need fair salaries – Mr Wang [...]

wow..he has already spent 3 years, thinking about his death.

I also recall a young Indian lad who was hanged, and he didnt even know he was carrying drugs in the first place. and then that Nigerian boy who just wanted to play football in Singapore.

i also heard about the German girl. I read about the French chef who managed to sneak away from Singapore. I’ve heard rumours on why the German girl received only 3 years, but its unsubstantiated rumours, so i will not say anything.

After reading about all these stories, how can one not wonder on the machinations of the drugs/ death penalty law?

The strict death penalty may have worked in the 60s-70s, when we needed those strict laws, and our nation was only just starting out.

There should be a revision of the death penalty, taking into account how we’ve moved on and progressed, how successful our police force has been, and the circumstances of each case.

If LKY can be gracious enough to say that we need to rethink our mandarin policy, there’s nothing wrong to say we can rethink our death penalty policy. Things have changed – we can move on. Its not about pride or face here. we’re talking about lives of young people, who should be given a second chance.

i was told by a retired dpp, if you’ve got connections (e.g. CEOs of listed companies, people in power, u know lah), all sorts of wool and strings can be pulled. either at prosecution level, police level or judiciary level.

they can write wonderful “testimonials” of how repentant you are, how “uncharacteristic” and “one-off” was this offence, how you have been pressured by life, how you failed to overcome obstacles and succumbed to a moment of “weakness”…

good luck to this poor commoner’s son. his life does not depend on law, but the powers-that-be-that-he-knows.

I wonder if the punishment would still be the same if the offender happens to be our PM’s son.

13) commentator on November 19th, 2009 12.29 pm

punishment? what punishment? PM’s son is suppose to be exempted right? anyway, I suppose nobody even dare to search him even if he really bring drugs into Singapore.

in our society a 19 year old are not allowed to watch RA21 rated movie cos they are inmature ? easily influenced ?And yet when they do drug trafficking at the same age they are treated as adult and punished by death? yes in singapore there’s always double standard..i am so sadden to see so many young persons send to the gallow…

we can only vote after 21 right? is that why they kept him in jail until after he’s 21?

Extremely, extremely, saddening, the fact that he is so young, and facing the death penalty. Were he a Singaporean, he wouldn’t have been considered old enough or mature enough to vote, at the time of his offence.

An entire lifetime of possibility to be taken away. Not a chance to demonstrate repentance. What are we killing this boy for?

Is the cumulative damage caused to the hundreds of thousands of people in Singapore from the cigarettes imported is less than that of 47g of heroin?

Are the officers of the Singapore Law absolutely certain that he will offend again?
Because death is pretty absolute a punishment.

It is of course commendable that some drug addict and his family out there have been spared the ravages of this drug because of Yong’s arrest. Why does the law now knowingly ravage his family?

Can the Singapore Judiciary not be more creative in the rehabilitation of young offenders like this?

commentator, if you are famous and rich would you risk yourself into trafficking drugs and get caught? These people are not drug lord but merely runners that are are naive or desperate; and a few of them were even set up or forced into committing the crime. If the government must punish them, a life sentence penalty is rightfully enough and maybe include caning if necessary as long as they can continue to live to have a 2nd chance. Death penalty for trafficking 15gm of heroin – Madness!

“Remember the Germany girl who was given the light sentence of 3 years with this treatment? Many non-white, including Africans and locals, were not so lucky.”

the ang-mohs are first class and they have given the impression to the world that they are first class and that is why people are proud to be like ang-mohs, or pseudo ang-mohs.

the non ang-mohs (especially those from countries who do not care much about human rights) usually give the impression that they are only just a digit to be moved around, even within their own country.

18) inhumanelaw on November 19th, 2009 1.47 pm
… These people are not drug lord but merely runners that are are naive or desperate; and a few of them were even set up or forced into committing the crime. If the government must punish them, a life sentence penalty is rightfully enough and maybe include caning if necessary as long as they can continue to live to have a 2nd chance. Death penalty for trafficking 15gm of heroin –

The thing is that there will always be the naive and desperate (to be runners). Being lenient encourages the runners to try their luck.

To stop the rain water from leaking through your roof, you can either stop the weather from raining (catch drug lords OVERSEAS where we have no jurisdiction) or you can patch your roof (catch the runners when they come in under our jurisdiction).

3) TD on November 19th, 2009 8.11 am
Gentler, Kinder society, Goh Chok Tong? my foot.

Nonsense.
It’s now the new source protected code LHL version 7 (windows to no hope);

Cheaper….to “EXECUTE!” all tasks
Faster………to “FIX!” them “problem” areas
Better……….to “JUST DO IT!”

Done deal. Pirated copies “sold” separately (to those who can afford it)

Ho ho ho!! CaSINo open in time for Christmas?? That means more “Christmas presents” will come thought Singapore to add to the drug trade.

Every day U drink the” New Water” inside content plentyful of drug.
So which one have no drug. In court U know some one, U’re are safe.
If U don’t known anybody U’re are finish!
Attention to all Human being, In this world there is no What U call Law!

19/11/09

There must not be any compromise on Death Penalty for these drugs traffickers and if possible use Death Penalty on those drugs syndicates masterminds who are usually highly educated, very and have investments in Singapore (those who have read my earlier know my story).

Regards
Andrew Chuah

The president of singapore must help him to lower to life imprisoment due to young age

Dear Your Excellency, The Honourable President of The Republic of Singapore,

May you, for this particular case, show some mercy, please.

If Your Excellency, Our Honourable President is unable to pardon this young Singaporean totally, please at least commute his sentence to “Under the President’s pleasure”, thereby saving a young life from being put to certain death under an uncompromising law created by ourselves.

Your Excellency’s compassion and wisdom are the only hope that this young man and his parents can, at this final hour, rely upon.

This is a plea for mercy.

Yours respectfully and obediently,

One Singaporean.

18) inhumanelaw

Inhumanelaw, I agree with you totally. The ones who truly deserve death don’t get it, but rather the innocent & desperate ones who are exploited by them.

I feel that for every drug crime committed (especially out of desperation), our govt is indirectly responsible to some degree.

“1) CJ on November 19th, 2009 5.25 am

This is sad, and it is bad, but it is a TOUGH STAND on drug trafficking.
However, it would be good to CHANGE the execution method to Lethal Injection as it is deemed to be more HUMANE.
God have mercy on him… ”

Tough stand on drug trafficking? Well then they should never let Lo Hsing Han and his son into this country because they are one of the biggest drug lords in Burma. Yet they are allowed to continue building their business empire here in Singapore. Tough stand my foot!

Anyway this is how a death row inmate is being treated in Singapore according to my knowledge:

1. They don’t know when they will die, or the person sharing their cell will die.
2. They are not supposed to have physical contact with their loved ones during the last meeting. They can only see each other through a glass panel. This is ‘normal procedure’.
3. The prison will cremate the body on their own accord if no funeral services is being planned an hour after execution (if I am not wrong). They will not release the body to the family after the hour.
4. Once a person is being sentenced to death, any other evidence to prove that he/ she is not guilty will not be accepted by the court. Under such circumstances, an innocent person can be hanged.

In this instance, Yong Vui Kong has been denied his right to legal counsel. What is this nonsense? In the case of Amara Tochi, M. Ravi was able to interview him after the State Assigned Counsel released the case. Why is it that he can’t do that now? All convicts whether they are under the death row or otherwise, should have the right to legal counsel. They are just trying to make things difficult for him.

Anyway due to the urgency of this case, the petition and the letter of clemency had to be sent in ASAP and we have extended it for more than a week. Amnesty International is running a campaign for Yong Vui Kong as well so if anyone is interested, you can check out the following link.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA36/004/2009/en/b4607133-a113-4ccb-a45d-d147b7740eb4/asa360042009en.html

Not old enough to vote but old enough to die. wow what a country. remind me not to go there.

If Singapore which claims to be a “Christian” country wishes to have a death penalty for “Trafficking” drugs that kill maybe they should start with the CEOs of the global Pharmaceutical manufacturers whose drugs kill millions each year world wide.
However I would suggest that the approach to implementation of any death penalty should follow the policy laid down by Jesus of Nazareth.

“He who is without sin, cast the first stone”
Any other approach is hypocrisy of the lowest order.
Compassion, forgiveness and mercy are the hallmarks of a civilised country not the systematic murder of their citizens.

Re. mail 24 from Andrew Chuah,

It appears that of all the mail your’s is the only one that supports the Death Penalty for this drug trafficker. It would be interesting to hear more about why you consider this to be the correct approach? Please educate us more about it sir.

zero
(ps. my view is “a death for a death”- that is fair – if somebody died due to the culprit’s foolish/evil actions the culprit shall be put to death. However, a person trafficking in drugs didn’t kill any specific person. He is doing the same thing as the 7-eleven counter staff selling cigarettes which causes cancer. He is doing the same thing as the heartlands small timer selling pirated sexy dvd’s, no doubt destroying the moral fabric of the impressionable.. but do you want to poke a hole through his heart and kill him? Let us hear your arguments and consider both sides before concluding. Let us be objective. )

I just feel that this boy deserve to be given a second chance.
If he is born in a well to do or happy family,he may not necessary get himself into this mess.
The case of this lawyer being denied access to inmate,if true ,is another example of inefficiency.Unnecessary delay for a person to seek hope is in humane.

The lethal injection is humane? I watched the movie Dead Man Walking and unless the lethal injection has changed since then, it is not humane at all. Yes, the people watching may think it is humane. But apparently, the first injection robs the person of all his movement. The second implodes his lungs. And the 3rd stops the heart. So chances are, he is feeling a great deal of pain but he doesn’t show it.

#29 If Singapore which claims to be a “Christian” country wishes to have a death penalty for “Trafficking” drugs that kill maybe they should start with the CEOs of the global Pharmaceutical manufacturers whose drugs kill millions each year world wide.

when did singapore claim to be a christian country???

27) commentator on November 19th, 2009 11.17 pm
I feel that for every drug crime committed (especially out of desperation), our govt is indirectly responsible to some degree.

I agree… somewhat.

But, being lenient will make them not just indirectly responsible, but also directly responsible. Because, by being lenient, they would have encouraged the desperate to ‘try’.

Having said that, I think we are digressing. The topic is not about whether we agree with death penalty, but whether denying his lawyer access is right or wrong. …. then again, this topic got nothing to discuss. I can’t imagine anyone agreeing that denying him access to his lawyer to be right.

30) zero on November 20th, 2009 8.42 am

not really. I also support death penalty.

To make a simple case for the death penalty where it is not a death for a death, let’s just say there are things worse than the permanent state of being dead. You heard of 生不如死?

20/11/09

Hi Zero-Good to hear from you (your posting No.30) I am all for Death Penalty not only for Drugs Trafficers but also Drugs Syndicates and their masterminds who are now very educated and especially those who parked their tens of millions of their drugs monies in Singapore for investments. Let me tell you my story-

My story- Why I support the Death Penalty

My only former brother (I am the eldest and he is the youngest, only two of us and I am Singaporean as I was born in Singapore whereas he was born in Malaysia, and he is a very highly educated man good degrees from Cambridge and a Master from NUS) and is the richest man in Penang and all the authorities there are under his payroll and he tried to get them to put me under the dreaded Internal Security Act and Sedition Act as he suspected me to inform them-earlier, the Inland Revenue Board whacked him, his wife and her family very hard, next Police and Customs but he managed to put them under his payroll). Even my dad a retired Associate Professor of Physics had to apologise and knelled down to them inorder to reconcile with him as he loves him very muuch-all his savings spent on him)He even asked me to do likewise but I refused as I am God Fearing Singaporean-yes, poor and still struggling. Just three weeks ago, the IRB raided them and he is after me again. I told my parents, I don’t negotiate or compromise with such people and I was the first to cut him off-so what being the richest man in Penang.My mum knew about his business and admitted after my dad confronted him and she said “so what just a business like any other business, blame the drugs addicts” and told me in Singapore he has many strong cables protecting him and I told her “bullshit” and in Singapore we hang drugs traffickers……unfortunate he is one of the mastermind and if I am the PM of Singapore, I will go all out for him and hang him (there must be no but, if, maybe, second thought and always put Singapore and her national affairs above all things-this has been my stand)

We as Ordinary Singaporean must continue to support the Death Penalty-despite this more still come and trafficking drugs.

Regards
Andrew Chuah

a man is on death row…whatever he have done or not (don’t forget..we do not HAVE a jury services)..let him talk to his lawyer..and yes the last time i recalled it was still a DEMOCRACTIC soceity…even the indonesians government practised decocratic rulins on condemned prisoners includin thailand…
than again we are on par with myamer..just different spellin and the singapore armed forces do not provide hangin ropes…

It is Yong Vui Kong’s last chance to stay alive. A final appeal of clemency to the President.
Human life or for that matter all living beings have only one life. Being young and naive Vui Kong made the greatest mistake in his life. He has a long road ahead and are going to be cut short with death.

Mr President, my personal appeal to you to show greater compassion and empathy to a young mindless youth who must have be tormented and recovered his mind back and it is up to you Mr President to have the last say to save a life.

As a Buddhist saying goes “saving a life is loftier that the seven-storey pagodas”.
A great blessing of mankind’s benevolence. Thank you Sir.

It is ironical that drug lords/kings, especially those from the Golden Triangle of Myanmar, are allowed to roam about freely, doing shopping , getting medical treatment and depositing their black money in the banks in Singapore, totally un-disturbed and unharmed, yet a small fry courier is arrested, imprisoned for three years, then convicted and sentenced to death, and refused legal counsel.

What the hell is going on in Singapore?

The rich and powerful are welcomed and protected irrespective of their criminal backgrounds, while the weak and easily-bullied lower souls are being treated worse than slaves and animals?.

[...] ASEAN Way – Gerald Giam’s Blog: Was our phenomenal GDP growth worth selling our soul for? – TOC: Lawyer for death-row inmate denied access to client – Mathia Lee: NKF in the red & Sustainable Charities: Good people need fair salaries – Mr Wang [...]

Taking a life from any human is not a right given to any human or government unless in the act of defense. Is someone so young a threat to our country, does his action or mistake in any way harm the sovereignty of our country.

A person who forgives is more noble than a person who judges. As a country do we want to be seen as land that offers hope and forgiveness or a land that rules with an iron fist. Do we need this rule of law in our so called developed country?

to lobo76
Hello, yes i know of 生不如死 but i associate this with someone suffering from end stage painful disease and destitiute. For someone addicted to drugs, i think all is not lost, there are ways to recovery. There are drug addicts who recover with rehabilitation and proper will power. So it is unlike end-stage terminal disease- you are really goner, THAT is the one 生不如死 i will associate with.
A drug trafficker sells something to some one who gets much addicted and then suffers. the person who buys must share part of the blame. It take two hands to clap. therefore, i cannot agree to KILL the person who sold the horrible stuff. The person who sell, his intention is to make money, no different from insurance
agents who fleece customers with bad products. You can’t KILL him because he didn’t do premeditated murder targetted on a specific person. What you can do with him is to lock him up for 20 years and lash him with 20 strokes if you want to, but do you need to KILL him? If yes, honestly, i will give you a knife, and i guarantee you, you will feel shivering and scared and guilty to poke a hole through this man’s healthy, beating heart,

To andrew chuah
I am quite surprised at the ‘bizarre’ story you related. Unless i understand wrong, you are saying your brother deserves to be put to death because he is a drug pusher… well we are moving one step up the ladder. We were originally talking about the small fry peddlar runner who transacts to the end user customer. My view is really that we cannot kill the peddlar runner. But as for the mastermind, what to do with THAT fella, i really not sure. I am only sure it is not quite right to kill the ikanbilis of a small fry. Having said that, i think it is timely to do a study on the more important point. Does all this work? Some study should be done on countries which Do not impose death penalty, and see whether they are overwhelmed with drug prblems? We could argue till the cows come home, but let us not re-invent the wheel, i am sure we can learn from how other countries manage their crooks.

Zero

21/11/09

Hi Zero-Happy to hear from you. Yes, whether big or small, these people must face the full wrath of the law and charge under the Mandatory Death Sentence and no mercies must be shown to them. Just imagine if without Mandatory Death Sentence, our Modern Singapore situation would be much worse than our neighbours like Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. We as Singaporean must always put our Modern Singapore and her national interests above all things and hence our fellow Singaporeans have peace of mind and after a day’s of hard work can go back and sleep soundly and wake up fresh for another day’s work.

Regards
Andrew Chuah

Rachel Zeng, thank you SO MUCH for your post.

It was a true eyeopener.

Dear Andrew Chuah

All due respect to your right to advocate whichever cause you wish. This person isn’t your brother, neither are (I hope) any of the deathrow prisoners whose hanging you are so adamant about. They arrived at this sad state of their lives in different ways. Perhaps you brother is, in your view, beyond redemption – that just isn’t true in all other cases.

Imagine an abused child advocating that all parents should be locked up. Imagine a rape victim advocating the castration of all men. That seems to be the sort of generalisation upon which you base your support for the death penalty and your rationale for it – and it is frightening.

Remember this – Yong also has a brother who has publicly spoken out pleading for his life. Obviously, this boy differs from your brother in one very significant way. He may be a stranger to you and I, but there are people who love him as a son and a brother. Think on that.

38) leesjuanpat on November 20th, 2009 8.35 pm

Mr President, my personal appeal to you to show greater compassion and empathy to a young mindless youth who must have be tormented and recovered his mind back and it is up to you Mr President to have the last say to save a life.

Leejuanpat,

I applaud your compassionate attitude. However, I doubt that our President will be moved. If he spares this young man, he would have a hard time explaining & justifying why he did not do likewise for those sentenced to death for similar crimes in the past. It is not easy for people in authority to admit their mistakes publicly – and that’s a shame!

You better execute drug dealers and murderers, or you will have the horrible life of being shot down on the streets, your children attacked walking to school, parents selling children into porno, where the are killed. It is hell. I wish I could live in Singapore, but I am an an elderly American who cannot safely walk the streets.. Please be glad you are safe.

My daughter and I visited Singapore in 1995 and we were interviewed by your newspapers, and I loved Singapore. My daughter will be teaching English in Japan, and she turned out well, but crime wants her to leave America. I still work to keep busy, but I still wish we had Singapore laws here in America.

It is indeed sad that a human life waits to be extinguished by the state albeit after a fair and open trial as it were.

There is a neeed to be ruthlessly tough with drug trafficking and those who willingly engage in such pursuits for profit at the expense of human misery.

There are arguments against the death penalty and against those states who impose the death penalty for certain offences such as drug trafficking. I won’t go into the pros and cons of either argument here.

It is important though that we as a community of people in the region be aware of the false sense of security afforded by incompentent lawyers in this region who take on capital punishment cases.

One merely has to review the many capital offence cases tried in Malaysia by their brightest and their best there to discover the haphazzard way in which lawyers there handle these cases.

It provides rich pickings for those in their ranks who have the stomach to conduct these cases because of the desperation felt by clients who will pay whatever price there is demanded by lawyers to be defended in such cases.

The service by lawyers especially in Malaysia though has never in recent years reflected the level of care and thought required to be given to these matters because there is often as one put it, no disgruntled client to complain after the sentence has been carried out.

http://takemon.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/they-shoot-horses-dont-they/

Gopal Raj Kumar

I really hate to keep harping on anti-intellectualism but really, what do you expect from a 3rd world country that functions on simplistic, binary values? Look at the country with the most liberal policy towards drugs: Portugal. Is their society disintegrating amidst rampant debauchery? No. They only witnessed a decline in drug use and drug-related HIV infections while the number of people seeking rehabilitation doubled within 5 years. Of course, the gahman might argue that such liberalization willl not work in a conservative country like ours. In other words, it’s just a tacit admission that Singaporeans are incapable of the rigours of thought.