I really hope this poor young man gets a second chance. There is no way he deserved a death penalty and I strongly believe that he’ll repent after knowing all the touching stories during his imprisonment, which is jolly well hidden by the mainstream media controlled by our government.

And btw I heard the prosecutors were complaining about the execution being delayed. If this is true then I really hope they all rot in hell.

people have been voting term after term, for a ‘monster’….

My family and I pray that our Honourable High Court Judges, especially those in the Courts of Appeal, are not as heartless and cruel as our multi-millionaire money-minded ministers and our useless selected “elected” President, whose preoccupation is nothing but money, money, money …… economic progress at all cost!

Please Help Us, the Powerless and Helpless People of Singapore, God!
Please make our prayer comes true, God!
Please help Yong Vui Kong’s mother, God!

Please give Yong Vui Kong a second chance, God!
Please save his live, God!

“In September 2003, in an interview with the BBC, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong was questioned about the number of people executed in 2003. He stated that he believed it was “in the region of about 70 to 80”.

When asked why he did not know the precise number he said, “I’ve got more important things to worry about.” Two days later he retracted his statement, saying that the death penalty had in fact been carried out on ten occasions so far during the year.“

Is that not ignorant or what? How can the PM of the country be unaware of the bare facts that they cause to happen? And how can there be more important “things” than a person’s life…especially if a person may be innocent?

Singapore’s reputation may be good when it comes to cleanliness and safety, but when it comes to actions towards human rights, compared to other counties it looks horrible.

This murderous law had came into effect in 1975. Up till now, 34 years later, no one has bothered to look into it again, no lawyers or judges had bothered to review or revise it, and no politicians worth their salt had even utter a word to reconsider it, despite years and years of crying out and pleading by commoner Singaporeans and international communities who care.

With an average of 40 people executed every year, it means an execution every 9 days or so. What does this tell you?.

A country that takes life so lightly does not deserve to be protected or supported by the international community when another country invades it. Simple as that.

Anyone remember what that moron ST lapdog Andy HO said:

“”if, in the event of effective crime prevention, a few innocent people are punished or a few guilty ones are over-punished, that would be a price worth paying”.

I would love to see Andy Ho hanged. Doesn’t matter he is innocent. That would be a price worth paying.

When the Malaysia pro-government MSM or even Malaysiakini, the online Malaysian opposition website which supposedly does not face censorship, DOES NOT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE Mr Yong’s existence, you know something is very wrong.

What kind of political party promises to take care of its people and throws one of their own under the bus? I thank the kind souls who have spoken out on Mr Yong’s behalf even though Mr Yong is not one of our own citizens, I admit I am not as altruistic.

Instead of praising these compassionate souls, certain people would want to demonize and marginalize them. This is the character of a certain ethnic society.

Andy Ho is the regime’s cutest and loudest barking chihuahua in the toy dog category. And he barks in bombastic yelps too.

If the Court of Appeal were to listen to the mitigation plea as presented by this video and concurs that it has enough merit for Yong’s life to be spared, well thank God, Yong’s life is saved. His family can leave a symbolic empty seat for him at the coming Chinese New Year reunion dinner table while he will have his dinner in Changi Prison. There, he can look forward to another 25 Chinese New Year dinners. And to live a life being locked up with another three inmates for 23 hours a day for 365 days X 25 years.

I rather die than to life that way. That is why I have nothing but respect for the long term political prisoners of yesteryear’s. That they had persevered through that and survive freedom with minds intact!

At 2.40, his brother claimed that he had embraced Buddhism while in prison and had remained so for three years. Yes, I had seen big budget Hollywood movies making even more glaring slip ups! Was the brother reading from a script?

Nobody is following this drama closer than the drug syndicates. That you can take it to the bank!

Debonerman,

You said: “I rather die than to life that way.”

Don’t be too sure, my friend. When one sees death in the face, one will want to run away from it as fast and as quickly as possible. Don’t be too sure, my friend.

Tan Cheng Hua

First let me correct the typo.

And yes I will reiterate that I rather die than to live life that way.

Because in our prison system unlike that of many of their western counterparts, do not see humane treatment as a neccessity. I am not talking about a hotel room size cell with fridge and television or even to the ridiculous extent of providing a phone and internet access. I am talking about mental imput.

I am old enough. Mature enough from the wear and tear of living to know what I’m talking about. Nobody knows me better than I know myself.

#7 The Debonerman

I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry at this grotesque excuse for an argument.

The poster presents a hypothetical situation (“I would rather die than be imprisoned for life”) to imply that Yong should consider it a blessing that he’s being put to death. Wow, such a tough talker! Such tough love! Yong’s family should be so grateful for this poster’s mercy, so grateful that their pleas for Vui Kong’s life must surely be insincere!

Funny how people play out dramas in their own heads and think it bears a relation to reality.

And doesn’t the poster realize that the drug syndicates continue to operate despite trafficking being a capital offense? I should think they care as little as he does whether Yong lives or dies. Plenty more young and desperate teenagers to exploit and take the rap, while they continue to reap the profits.

If appealing to sympathy would work, all those who went before him would not have died. It is unfair to allow one to ruin the example set by so many people.

James

And your argument is that putting him to death would not deter more young innocent dealers of despair and destruction for families to try their luck with our nation’s defences?

Maybe my lack of formal education had led others to find it difficult to comprehend the way I articulate my thoughts.. For that I apologise.

he should be given another chance.

’nuff said.

With Debonerman’s sick reasoning, all prisoners with jail sentences longer than 10 years for other crimes should be given the death penalty as a “humane” option.

Without a doubt, depressed prisoners would chose the latter option.

If the System is by humans for humans, allowance should be made for circumstances leading up to Vui Kong’s offence.
Personally (and I’m sure likewise with many others in here), a long prison term should be more than enough to turn this person into a really Good Person.
People often need to FALL HARD to be changed.. PAP, do you all need to HALL HARD too… to change?

.. PAP, do you all need to FALL HARD too… to change?

i cared
mistakes you made @ a prize you can never afford
if you cannot be forgiven by men..may the almighty grant you a better next life
omitahu namotaksha salem ale cam

To: #16) CJ on December 7th, 2009 12.11 pm

.. PAP, do you all need to FALL HARD too… to change?

Yes, PAP definitely needs to FALL VERY HARD in order to change. That is why it is so afraid of a “Freak” election result. But by then it would be too late for PAP to change.

Any power powerful enough to rise as a result of the PAP’s demise will, in no uncertain terms, treat the PAP as it has treated all other political parties in the past. It will be as wise, clever, smart, cunning, ruthless, and meticulously efficient, if not better, than the PAP many times over. It will definitely not allow the demised PAP any room to make a come back and change, not like what has happened in Taiwan where the KMT could make a come back. This lesson must be learnt, and learnt well!

Since the PAP has used the ISA and the ISD against all its political opponents, what is there to prevent the new power not to make use of the same instruments of state to give back the PAP the same medicine?

No one gives a damn about PAP either; it was only about preserving an acceptable status quo. Unfortunately I believe that for most of the heartlanders it has reached a point of no return….

Debonerman wrote: “At 2.40, his brother claimed that he had embraced Buddhism while in prison and had remained so for three years. Yes, I had seen big budget Hollywood movies making even more glaring slip ups! Was the brother reading from a script?”

What a cruel and heartless person you are. It’s alright if you have your differing views on the Death Penalty, but how can you find the heart to say that the brother was reading from a script comparing his emotions to hollywood movies?

Would you say that if it was your own brother or son?

13) XP on December 7th, 2009 11.18 am
he should be given another chance.
’nuff said.

Technically, he was given 6(?) chances already? The number of time he brought ‘gifts’ into Singapore iirc.

fae

He was caught just last year in June. Where did the period of three years come from? You obviously don’t possess a keen sense of awareness. That’s my humble opinion.

“Technically, he was given 6(?) chances already? The number of time he brought ‘gifts’ into Singapore iirc. ”

Kudos to the Singapore Police. Which goes to show that many more successful drug traffickers exist.

#7 & #22, Debonerman
Vui Kong was caught in July 2007. Please check your facts before you start insulting other people. I personally find your lack of grace distasteful and appalling. By all means, tell us why you support the mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking. But to mock a young man who is pleading for his brother’s life? That’s just pathetic.

The vicissitudes of anti-intellectualism.

[i]Would you say that if it was your own brother or son? [/i]

other people are alway liked that as lon as it SOMEBODY’s son/brother
they should be punished…
but if the loudhailer’s kins is involved whether its a pap son/rc sons…
please lark give them a chance..they are youn..they made ^HONEST^ mistakes
even the narcotic makes mistakes..its 14.99grams because the prosecutor failed to see .001 gram is the weight of the plastic bag which hold the drugs intact….we simply cannot hung a elites’ son with a plastic bag weighted right?

IMHO, “hanged, drawn and quartered” is a more powerful deterrent than hanging alone. Maybe the gahman should consider that?

“Why not step to the streets and protest instead of whining like a toddler?”

For a Malaysian citizen? I thought their opposition is the expert on this kind of thing. But wait where happened to them? All the demokrat heroes disappeared without a trace.

Stop deluding yourselves. Why would the gahman overturn their decision and undermine their authority in the process? There’s more chance of them considering my absurd suggestion (hanged, drawn and quartered) than to dabble in any unproductive venture like repealing capital punishment. Here’s a methodical break down for you lot: Capital Punishment = deterrent = lesser crime = more $.

Demand of drugs is the main reason why the drug syndicates are still running affluently. Capital punishment creates as an incentive for people to not demand for drugs – they fear of being hung so they don’t do it, probably one of the reasons why Gahmen’s not doing anything about it.

But it doesn’t solve the problem. People are still taking drugs all over the world, and others like Vui Kong dies because of such inflexible policies. I’d still root for rehabilitation and education as long as people are willing to repent. Nobody deserves to die. The value of human life is worth more than anything else.

not easy for lawyers and judges to deal with death cases.

that why some lawyer will not deal with death cases.

salute those lawyer who take up this type of cases.

There is no capital punishment for consumption of drugs, only the trafficking of it.

Rehabilitation and education for a Malaysian? Singaporeans are really too naive and generous. Send him back and let the Malaysian justice system deal with him. Whether or not the drug syndicates want to kill him to silence him is another matter altogether.

#25 lynnlee

I offer a partial apology. It was the sudden domination of his case in TOC that piqued my interest. I had long taken the position in affirming the correctness of the law in dealing with drug traffickers. But then, the fact it had been 2 years 6 months since his remarkable decision to embrace Buddhism from the “moment he was caught”, I can’t help feeling it’s a case of not burning joss sticks to give thanks to the Heavens when all is well and throwing your arms around Buddha’s feet when you are in peril.

As for my comments about his brother in the film, please lose that innocence. Making the film is to serve a purpose. Ask the Government’s Mediacorp. Low budget operations can’t afford teleprinters. About me being distasteful and appalling, join my fan club.

Ω李: If there’s no consumption of demand for drugs, there’s no need for drug syndicates to operate, needless to say drug trafficking, and Vui Kong wouldn’t be in this position.

I think the responsibility of rehabilitation and education lies in all of us – the society, not just the justice system alone. Yes, perhaps I am naive, but without such ideals, there’s no change.

OriginalResonance: Hitler’s supporters are still around, but that’s another issue. Humans are indeed hypocrites – we go for incentives, alternatives and try to avoid punishments. But as long as the human justice system is fallible, I’ll still say that the value of human life is more important than anything else, and Vui Kong shouldn’t die since he wants to repent. It’s just my opinion.

“Hitler’s supporters are still around”

Well there is another Malaysian which our Government invites to our universities and rolls down the red carpet for.

He is a 85 year old unrepentant Communist terrorist who masterminded the actual murder of thousands in Malaysia, not some IMAGINED number, yet the Malaysian press asks for forgiveness and etc. while giving a total blackout to Mr Yong.

The sheer hypocrisy.

#33 Debonerman,

Partial apology accepted. But that doesn’t absolve you of sloppy fact checking. The offense is serious enough to necessitate a mandatory loss of credibility on your part. Sorry, but being half-sorry just cuts no ice, you know? I mean, just as we have to defend Singapore from silly drug mules, we should also defend the integrity of this forum, no? One dumb comment, and you’re done. There’s no turning back for you, I’m afraid. You’ve lost all credibility.

“Should we mourn over Hitler’s and Saddam’s death?” .. hmm.. so, if we don’t, we SHOULD celebrate ? If not black, it has to be white?

Just because we don’t mourn over death of certain characters doesn’t mean we SHOULD NOT stand against the mandatory death penalty. Just because we would like to see the maturing of civilization while not shedding tears for the demise of ‘evil’ doers, DO NOT make campaigners against the death penalty hypocrites.

If someone professes disgust in dog meat while eating other meat, does that mean he is contradicting himself and should shut up and join the canine meat loving party? Does it have to be a dramatic wholesale change in a person before he should develope an opinion regarding different issues? If a person declares himself as an animal lover but has more affection dogs than cats, that makes him a liar?

As we grow as a civilization, should we not engage in positive (as we change our views from time to time) change as new evidence, new data, and new morals? emerge?

“I can’t help feeling it’s a case of not burning joss sticks to give thanks to the Heavens when all is well and throwing your arms around Buddha’s feet when you are in peril.”

It is perfectly normal for people to have a spiritual conversion, even a total change of character in the face of death.

Maybe if you look past your cynicism, you will find that thing called the Buddha nature in you too.

Here again the same issue arise. Very difficult to strive a balance wh drugsat to do. One: let him have a 2nd chance and you will have more people like him plea innocent in future if they get caught.

The other is sent him to hang and send a strong signal to all not to commit this kind of crime which will not have more people hook on to drugs.

So fellow brothers and sisters, what all of you want?

Yang, as I’ve said before.. the solution is to hang the big boss in front of the poor guy and then get the poor guy to be an anti-drug ambassador to potential vulnerable offenders.

This will ensure the right person gets hanged and a chance for the young scapegoat to be a spokesman against drugs. It’s the perfect solution in my opinion.

Premise: “Vui Kong so young already sentenced to death. Poor thing. Gahman so cruel.”

Conclusion: Let’s abolish the judicial system and replace it with pity pageants.

Premise: “Life is sacred. What gives the gahman the right to take it away?”

Conclusion: Abolish NS. Singapore shall not engage in warfare for it entails the taking of lives.

TOC’s efforts on this issue to boost the chance of Yong getting a reprieve from the death penalty, I believe will come to nought. As sure as the sun will rise on the morning he is hung.

I do not agree with this bunch of people expressing concerns and demonstrating compassion. Pity for the guilty is high treason to morality. The person has committed a crime, he deserved to be punished – though not necessarily by death.

“Abolish NS. Singapore shall not engage in warfare for it entails the taking of lives. ”

LOL. When has Singapore ever been engaged in war, or even offered combat troops to its allies? The only “action” the army has seen are the few professional commandos in the hijacking incident, not NS men.

“Conclusion: Let’s abolish the judicial system and replace it with pity pageants. ”

Childish.

OriginalResonance @42
“Conclusion: Let’s abolish the judicial system and replace it with pity pageants”

So its either kill him or abolish judicial system??? Only 2 options!

There is no better way of dealing with drug abuse in Spore, there is no better way to punish a young drug trafficker other than kill him, there is no better way to prevent drug trafficking??? Where are our top talents again???

42) OriginalResonance on December 7th, 2009 7.42 pm

Premise: “Vui Kong so young already sentenced to death. Poor thing. Gahman so cruel.”
Conclusion: Let’s abolish the judicial system and replace it with pity pageants

Really…really…really…. you need to have expand your mind a little. Just a little…

It’s not a zero-sum, my friend. Sigh. Such………. ignorance.

Oh, I feel so sorry him, I pray that he will win the appeal tomorrow!

Death sentence is just too much not as if he murdered someone.

I dislike the idea of death sentence. Not even for murder.

Cos death sentence will not change anything.

May God bless him and his family.

Good bye Vui Kong. Hope nobody else would follow your footsteps in drug running.

Why not help the Malaysian police who your Bosses are to get a lesser sentence from SG Govt.

I genuinely feel sad for him, & there’s not a damned thing I can do about it! Petitions & letters don’t help ‘cos authorities don’t care. Human rights groups & I get silenced here. What the hell… Hey, please stop killing people! I’m desperate to see people regain their rightful basic rights to live. What would help, when even petitions directed at the authorities failed?

I am really appalled by people who still thinks death penalty is necessary in Singapore. It’s as stupid as saying conscription is needed too to protect this country. We all know who wants a private army. Perhaps few Singaporeans know what true freedom & human rights are. & how much rights to life & individual freedom affect one’s life greatly.

I believe that the death penalty was created under the philosophy that one person takes the punch for the bigger community. It is not so much a punitive measure for the trafficker, as it is a deterrent for future ones. This is the state’s philosophy, that one may be sacrificed for the ‘greater good’. The competing point of view is that we should uphold the sanctity of the individual’s life. Why should one person take such a serious fall, that is not commensurate to his crime, for the rest? From this point of view, yes, the death penalty is too harsh, whether he knew any better, whether he intentionally brought drugs in, whether he is old or young, whether he had a good or poor background.

I do not feel that he should be put to death, but I get the feeling that through this outpouring of compassion for a young boy who is on the death row, he is being absolved of his crimes by supporters. Let us not forget that he has committed a crime, and the evidence has it that it was not the first time he has brought in drugs. Yes, he should not die, but he has committed serious crimes. 50g of heroin is in fact a big amount which can produce more than 10000 sticks of street substance. He is not an innocent man. Many criminals come from poor backgrounds, low education and are somebody’s children, partners, lovers and friends. A crime however is still a crime, and while these factors should mitigate his sentence, he is not a poor little boy who has done nothing wrong.

To everyone who’s taking shots at Malaysiakini for not reporting on Yong’s case, here you go: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/119173

I feel very sad for Vui Kong and his family. We need to continue to work towards democracy, human rights, civil society groups and network more with our ASEAN neighbors.

Check out the latest interview with Vui Kong’s defense attorney, M Ravi, regarding the death penalty and the state of the judiciary in Singapore and find out why the death penalty must go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrjePgcX8Ow

8/12/09

No mercy must be shown to this convicted criminal who knew what he was carrying and the full process of the law must take place ie should his appeal fails, he must face the gallows bravely and this is send a strong message out ie Don’t Play Play in Singapore, and as Ordinary Singaporeans like myself, I am all out for Death Penalty for Drugs Traffickers and if I have my way, I will want to impose Death Penalty for those Drugs Syndicates also especailly those who use Singapore to launder their moneys like my former only brother who is highly educated.

Regards
Andrew Chuah

Talk much also no use. If you really got the gumption to save this person, you can organize a petition to the PRESIDENT REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE for clemency. Hope it is not too late.
For starter TOC could start an online petition to bring awareness to the whole society.

Original Resonance @25, 42 etc…err care to elaborate what u mean by “anti-intellectualism”? Do u mean that the campaign is “anti-logic”, “anti-reason” and it is all bleeding-heart emotional stuff, then how would you respond to Zeng Xi’s write-up on this? And I think Khairulanwar’s “Treason of Reason”, albeit on a different subject matter but nevertheless makes a good point about the instrumentality of reason i.e. that reason can be used to serve authority.

Andrew Chuah

It is not even mercy some of us are talking about. The law is wrong, period – wrong to punish a 19 yr old, wrong to hand out the severest sentence to the trafficker and not pursue the mastermind, wrong not to take a criminal’s circumstance into consideration when sentencing, wrong because non-Sporeans need not necessarily know about the death penalty law.

You are right that the “full process of the law must take place” and it is not happening. The prosecutor can call for the sentencing and be granted.

How do you send the message when the story is not even publicised in mainstream media? This is trafficking into Spore. How do you send the message to the world not to traffic illegal drugs into Spore or you will be executed? I suggest if the Govt is serious about this, post the execution on Youtube. I dare the Govt to video it and post it on Youtube. They dare not even issue a press release to the world that they are executing a 19 yr old for possessing 47 kg of illegal drugs. Why so quiet in ST? Why???

Be careful what you wish for. What are you going to do if 15.1gms of drugs are PLANTED in your luggage? The law says anyone found in possession of drugs will face death penalty. You have been warned in the plane, there is no excuse. You will esp be doomed if you are from a poor background and not received much education.

walau: I was referring to Vui Kong’s recklessness, not atypical to most youths of today. We’ve all become so americanized that we prize money over intellectualism. Look at the social hierarchy. It’s oil merchants and moneylenders i.e bankers at the top. A culture that obsesses over money is one that seeks to pander to the ignorant masses. Populism is the most efficient method at gaining money and power, not intellectual aptitude. Consider the example of Mcdonald’s. It surpasses all other Michelin-starred restaurants in assets. Or Barack Obama. Elected president of the most powerful nation in the world because he SEEMS to be black and that he has good delivery in scripted speeches. How about TOC? Scroll up and you’ll find that any argument that supports the death penalty is instantly given the thumbs down. And one even had the cheek to lecture me on zero-sum, as though it somehow absolves one from thinking about the practical implications of indiscriminate pity. Let’s face it: you’re either for the death penalty or you’re not; you’re either for punitive deterrence or you’re not. What’s the middle ground? Arbitrary capital punishment? Execute only men with tattoos? Again I allude to pity pageants. And simply harping on the supposed ineffectiveness of death penalties does not validate the premise that those deserved of pity shall be pardoned.

It is a 19 year old teenager drug trafficker that is about to be sent to the gallows, with a high chance of rehabilitation not some hardened criminal like the infamous “One-eyed Dragon”, albeit the former a Malaysian the latter a Singaporean.

With regards to Malaysiakini, I shudder to think if a Singaporean was about to be executed overseas (guilty or not), the local media (government controlled or otherwise) can be so callous or lazy as to not bother to report on the impending execution because of cultural shame and/or political expediency and only after the prodding of an anonymous poster on the comments page of an alternative news website.

“We’ve all become so americanized that we prize money over intellectualism.”

What has this do with Mr Yong?

I think most people do not see the other end of the equation where the drug trafficker gets through and distribute those addictive stuff. What abt the drug addicts and would be addicts who can get their fix easily? Those who have relatives who are addicted to drugs, like I do, will not want to see another trafficker get away. Homes and families get wrecked because of drug addiction. If you sympathise with one, there will be thousands from 3rd world countries or even 1st world who will take a chance. In Vui’s case, he went in with his eyes opened, he has to pay his dues to society. If we are not firm about this, there will be endless cases to come. How do we decide which one deserve sympathy, which one do not. The law has to draw the line. Let’s not get emotional about this. Vui deserved it.

[...] 7 update: Read Rachel’s report for TOC and her latest update here and here. Read Lianain Films post here on Vui Kong which carries a video of an interview with the [...]

““We’ve all become so americanized that we prize money over intellectualism.”

What has this do with Mr Yong? ”

Mr Yong thought that anyone who gives him money is deserved of his unquestioned allegiance, nvm what he would be expected to do? You know, money over truth?

Wee SK made a valid point and he got a thumbs down in return. Hmm…

And someone can receive 11 thumbs up, on the contrary, by simply saying “Please give Yong Vui Kong a second chance, God! Please save his live, God! “

“I think most people do not see the other end of the equation where the drug trafficker gets through”

According to Mr Yong, he has at least gotten through at least five times. The time he was caught was for 47g. Is it not rational to infer that there are smarter drug syndicates which successfully trafficked much greater amounts that the Singapore Police knows about? Which would mean the profits earned by the drug syndicates trumps the deterrence of the death penalty which would equally be served by a long prison sentence.

“If we are not firm about this, there will be endless cases to come”

Like how the execution of Mr Nyugen Van Tong deterred Mr Yong Vui Kong. This is a simplistic argument. Fair enough if the widespread publicity given by the Australian press has deterred SOME would-be Australian drug smugglers, why has the Malaysian press all but swept it under the rug? Where is the deterrence value when the general public in Malaysia does not know about this case?

“Let’s not get emotional about this.”

The poster asks the reader not to be emotional and yet pulls up emotional points like “What abt the drug addicts and would be addicts who can get their fix easily? Those who have relatives who are addicted to drugs, like I do, will not want to see another trafficker get away. Homes and families get wrecked because of drug addiction.”.

Would putting a drug trafficker in prison not serve the same purpose as killing him, it might even rehabilitate him or her? The longer and more recalcitrant the government is over this issue demonstrates that this government is more interested about its authority as someone has mentioned, rather than basing any decision based on rationality.

@58 OR…woooaaa hold your war-horses on “americanism”. cos it sounds like a “democracy”(america) vs “good governance”(rest of e world) kind of arguement going-on here, ditto ST’s interview with “foreign policy scholar” Parag Khanna(08.12.09) that (insidiously?) appeared alongside Wong KS’s “Do whats right not whats popular” – which I find incredibly very difficult to understand, when he says for e.g.:
“On the calls for slashing the GST rate, Mr Wong said such a move might actually raise business costs, as companies would have to change their systems to adjust to a new GST rate”.

How did bad reasoning and ill-logic go unchecked and disguised as “good governance”? Is “good governance” an ends in itself, as this Parag Khanna implies that it should be.

I was merely remarking on America’s anti-intellectualism and obsession with money, not the superiority of our government over theirs.

@58 OR And I really don’t know enough about America though, to understand what u r saying when u say:
“We’ve all become so americanized that we prize money over intellectualism. Look at the social hierarchy. It’s oil merchants and moneylenders i.e bankers at the top”.

Big hugs to every one of you. You are ze bestest. Thanks for bringing faith back to humanity.

No one is godly perfect. Forgiveness for the fallen beats revenge.

Sad that so many I read and met, wants him dead (or to be set as an example, which we have too many to no positive statistical evidence). Why is that? Because of the “POTENTIAL” harm he MIGHT bring? Because of the “POTENTIAL” harm the drugs might do to the supposed innocents? Because of an image of him and the drug lords rubbing their hands in ecstacy with evil looks thinking of how many lives they are going to destroy rather than how much money they are going to make? Because you think he is rational, and clever enough, with choices you have been fattened with, that he made a black and white choice?

Putting him away is not good enough for you people? Taking his freedom away is not extreme enough for you? Splitting his buttocks is not babaric enough to satisfy you? No, you want him, someone you don’t give 2 hoots about, dead. So that other ‘ignorant fools’ like him can learn eh? As long as they breathe and possess a brain, they should take heed eh?

He is afterall a nobody to you. You probably have more feeling for some ficticious one dimensional character in the movies than you have for Yong Vui Kong, a real person, a very young person. Do you not think his aspirations might be similar to yours at around the same age? But no, he ‘chose’ to be born in the wrong family, he ‘chose’ to be born in the wrong environment, he chose to pick the wrong jobs, he chose wrong friends, he loves money differently from you, and he chose the wrong choice, so kill him, it’s ok, life’s unfair, tough, my breakfast taste the same tomorrow.

He is technically an adult you say. When did YOU become an adult? In this country.. at the stroke of midnight on your 18th birthday? Is that how it works? Did you mature with a clear view of life and the world suddenly when you wake up on your birthday morning? Amazing power of hindsight isn’t it?

For those who said that he has done it many times so he should not be given a chance. How many times was he caught and let off with warnings? ” Don’t do it again kid, or else next time..” with a waving finger.

Do you know how far our civilization have come? Do you know how many babaric laws have been abolished, why they are abolished, when they were abolished and what are the events that led to those abolishments?

Well, I guess to you all who are for MANDATORY capital punishment, there are no other ways we can improve our laws, no other ways to ‘punish’ or educate the ignorant, no other creative ways to enhance positive human endeavour, no other ways to protect our children and the innocent.

I guess, your breakfast will taste the same tomorrow.

1) The death penalty depresses me; the sooner we are rid of it, the better.

2) I don’t care about Vui Kong. All that happens is that a bunch of people get a bit of second-hand catharsis to feel better about ‘doing the right thing’. Happened a few years ago, didn’t it? Candle-lit vigil outside the prison and everything. Believing in this sort of rubbish is about as bad as believing in Bono, or believing that a green overlay on your Twitter icon will help Iranian activists.

3) I wonder how our judges would feel about spiffy new uniforms with big shoulder pads; they could take intimidating judicial surnames like ‘Dredd’.

It seems, OriginalResonance, that “anti-intellectualism” is your favourite word.

There is a middleground. And it is called a panel. A panel that will come together and find a solution or a verdict. A mandatory death sentence is not only cruel, it is downright foolish. Sure, you kill this one, the others piss their pants and promise to stay away from drugs. 6 months later, one guy says “No way i’m that unlucky” and thats when it all begins again.

Instead, why not have a civil discussion? Look at prior criminal records(in this case, none to speak of). Review the boy’s chances of rehabilitation and weigh the odds of him committing a similar crime again. Place him on probation. So much can be done. Why is death the immediate solution drawn?

Anti-intellectualism, you say? Pot calling the kettle a pot?

There is a middleground. And it is called a panel. A panel that will come together and find a solution or a verdict. A mandatory death sentence is not only cruel, it is downright foolish. Sure, you kill this one, the others piss their pants and promise to stay away from drugs. 6 months later, one guy says “No way i’m that unlucky” and thats when it all begins again.

Instead, why not have a civil discussion? Look at prior criminal records(in this case, none to speak of). Review the boy’s chances of rehabilitation and weigh the odds of him committing a similar crime again. Place him on probation. So much can be done. Why is death the immediate solution drawn?
>And when did I advocate the death penalty? I was denoncing the whimsical reasons that its opponents gave e.g “This boy is only 19. How can the government be so callous?”

Anti-intellectualism, you say? Pot calling the kettle a pot?
>Interesting spin on the idiom. Is it deliberate though? And btw, do realize that there’s a distinction between intellectualism and intelligence.

Anybody know what ’s the outcome for the appeal?

what does more grave than a flase hope and later the final blow of death penalty which would inevitably strike on him and his family … do you guys really think our Judges and whole system are going to give way for reason such as mental illness and young ages? he has more chances if he is a rich westerner than an poor and uneducated malaysian …

A law which stipulates and says: “Either death or freedom and nothing in-between”, is not a law.

It is revenge.

And revenge belongs to barbarians.

A law that does not allow the learned judges to exercise their skills, experience and learning according to professionalism, is an absurd law that defies logic, rationality and common sense.

Whoever proposed and got this law of mandatory death sentence enacted must be a highly sadistic and cruel-hearted monster like the Dracula of the dark side.

Common sense tells all of us that a state-sponsored killing is similar to a premeditate murder because no one has the right to take away another person’s life, nor matter how much power one may yield.

The only difference between a state-sponsored murder and that of individual murderers is that the act of murder involves many pairs of hands instead of one. It is co-ordinated team-work at play, which is even more heinous than individual murderers.

Only sadistic and revengeful characters, with no mercy at heart, prefer an eye for an eye type of punishments.

#80 An eye for an eye turns the world blind….and blind men do not commit violent crimes. Most of the world’s greatest civilizations were imperialists, and barbarians to their victims. Well, if you’ve a problem with violence, I’d suggest that you actively boycott the use of English, considering the actions of the US and our former colonial master, Britain. Surely you must resist the indoctrination by aggressors, no?

In his brother’s own words, he was in a gang and a debt-collector before he turned to delivering drugs. In other words, while at 14, he might have been innocent, by 19, he was already a hardened streetwise criminal who became greedy and over-confident because he had continuously eluded being caught. His is a story of a person who wanted to be rich, never mind the suffering he caused to the people around him by his involvement in crime. His own suffering as a child had taught him nothing about compassion. BUt when his crimes caught up with him, he repents. Well, if his repentance is sincere, may God forgive him his sins in his afterlife. But there is nothing in his circumstances that warrants more pity than other drug traffickers. There are many poor people around … they resist the temptation to get rich quick. How many more of them will choose this path if they learn that they will not have to die if they are caught? I shudder to think of the consequences on society.

79) OriginalResonance

Still talking colonial master? You might as well go back to Roman times!

80) SavePityForThoseDeservingIt

Unless you are in Yong’s shoes – no father, left home still a child to find a living, uneducated, mixed with the wrong company (rather lured and used by a ‘Godfather’), you don’t know a thing what you are talking about. I know of many youngsters at the age of 21 think that money drops from the sky and no idea how rice comes about. Honestly, I have more respect for Yong than such youths. You sound like one of them.

79) OriginalResonance

Still talking colonial master? You might as well go back to Roman times!

>As per normal, I’ll introduce you to today’s term of the day: “Red Herring”

OriginalResonance

By mentioning anti-intellectualism, you have implied that you’re quite the opposite, which i believe no one here would disagree with. However, you have failed to recognise how privileged you are to have been afforded the sort of education that has enabled you to become who you are. And that confirms that you are not as bright as you’d like to think.

Sure, mention all the historical terms you want. Use all the idioms and proverbs you can. At the end of the day, the only person you have managed to convince is yourself. While that is some achievement, do realise that there is the possibility that Yong could have turned out like you if he had been born into a similar family and environment. And because of that, you are not as special as you think you are.

If we ever let Yong go under the excuse that he was 19 when he comitted the crime, the drug lords will now be able to convince and start recruiting more of such age group youngsters as drug traffickers. This is something I would not want to see it happening in Singapore. So we should not set precedence and Yong must pay for his crime, and for the pain and sufferings he had caused to his victims and their families.

theinkhorn

Are you telling me that our public schools teach philosophy to secondary school students? Because the only institutions I’ve matriculated into are Primary and Secondary schools. My success and monetary wealth did not come as a result of a “sound” tertiary education. It came from despondency, precisely the environment that you sympathize with. Which does make a parody of your assertions though lol

OriginalResonance

Who said anything about philosophy?

Perhaps i misled you a little. Education in this case does not simply mean science, math, history, civics and moral education, school subjects etc. Education in this case refers to upbringing, environment. It refers to anything you learnt while growing up where you did, listening to words spoken, seeing events unfold, making mistakes. These are all aspects of education.

Comparing yourself to Yong is pointless, because you could probably be the exception that proves the rule. But you have to acknowledge that while Yong may have had the same choices you did and picked the wrong one, you may not have grown up in the exact sort of despondency he did. My assertions aren’t that unfounded after all are they.

I know nothing about Vui Kong’s life. Maybe he had been despondent for the past 20 odd years. Even when he was helping his boss, he was suffering too. Probably had no food to eat except bread crumbs. I dunno. Many here seems to know how despondent he was, to the point that there was purportedly never a chance of branching out of the malaise for him to seek a better life. I apologize if that’s the case. LOL

OriginalResonance

Perhaps this will help. Shut your eyes and think for a moment what it is like to be leaving home at 12, with no mum or dad, no education and having to make a living in the big, wide world. Forget about hunger, I think the bullying from ‘big boys’ is enough to push you to the edge. Some people literally do not have a choice and have to gamble with lives, not for greed but mere survival.

Heroin is a psychic painkiller derived from morphine, a physical painkiller that gained popular use during the First World War for acute battle injuries. Every heroin addict I have met was actually suffering from severe emotional trauma and felt they had to take something to numb their psychic pain. Those of us strong enough to soldier on without painkillers can consider ourselves fortunate, but we don’t have to become unfeeling and soulless about our less robust friends. Alas, almost every form of therapy for addictive personalities (whether the drug be heroin, alcohol, crystal amphetamine or cocaine) has turned out unpredictable with at least 50% of regressions. This leads me to conclude that, ultimately, addictive personalities become a burden on their families and communities only when the substance to which they are addicted becomes exorbitantly priced. In effect, the more illegal the substance, the higher its street value. having researched the subject for years I’ve drawn the inevitable conclusion that criminalizing any kind of drug is actually a racket – a game being played by very powerful crime syndicates working in cahoots with law enforcement agencies. Sometimes I suspect governments deliberately allow a certain percentage of their youth to become addicted, so they won’t turn to political activism and topple an unjust system. You can never be too cynical about big business, big government and big crime – because only too often it’s the same cast of control freaks switching roles. For example, it’s becoming clear that the most efficient drug smuggling operations on earth are being carried out by rogue factions of the CIA who often work in tandem with the Mafia. The money is often laundered through innocuous fronts like the Vatican Bank and used to finance black ops to keep certain political dynasties in power. It’s a very complicated subject but I’d like more people to start giving what I say some serious thought. Google the subject if you wish. Be warned that your worldview will never again be the same! In conclusion, I advocate the decriminalization of all drugs. No punishment, no crime. No official ban, no big profits, no thrill of rebellion against paternal authority from consuming illicit substances. Within a few years, no drug problem. Those already hooked will be able to maintain their habits without turning to crime – and anytime they wish to quit they can be offered emotional therapy to heal their wounded souls. Every life has value.

P.S. I’m deeply touched by all those who have shown their compassion and empathy for Yong Vui Kong. I didn’t know about his case till a couple of days ago when I received a forwarded email which prompted me to email the President, pleading on Vui Kong’s behalf. I’m pleased to note that the young man has reconnected with his spiritual core. He’s that close to becoming a Buddha (an awakened soul as opposed to being a human automaton) – and once he attains his enlightenment, he is beyond death anyhow..

“He’s that close to becoming a Buddha (an awakened soul as opposed to being a human automaton) – and once he attains his enlightenment, he is beyond death anyhow.”

From heroin to the opium of masses. Anyone remembers the time when you were a sperm with no functioning brain? I’ve no recollection. In this respect, life beyond death is a misnomer.

81) Discern
I know of many youngsters at the age of 21 think that money drops from the sky and no idea how rice comes about. Honestly, I have more respect for Yong than such youths.

I should think that it is precisely because Yong never had any reason to think that money dropped from the sky that he should not have taken the path he ultimately did. After all, he of all people should have known that no one was going to shower him with gifts and expensive treats without expecting something back. But he CHOSE the life of crime to get rich quick rather than be a waiter or a cleaner in a coffeeshop. If you choose to respect him for the choices he made, so be it :D.
As for compassion, I think anyone who repents deserves compassion. Even the one-eyed dragon – he donated his organs too, didn’t he? But if we allow that compassion to be the basis of a rule that everyone who repents be let off the hook wrt the law, then you might as well not have the rule of law at all; repentance after being caught is easy.

88)Antares
Alcohol and gambling are legal. Has that stopped families from being destroyed by alcoholism and gambling addictions? We cannot afford to have more families being destroyed by addictive drugs. I think the focus should remain on preventing access rather than healing wounded souls after the damage is done.

A Chinese national was fined $6,000 and banned from driving for 4 years
He pleaded guilty to causing the death of an ederly women. She was pronounced dead on the spot. For such neglience on the driver’s part, he gets only so light a sentence. What about Vui Kong????

Is it okay to be a reckless or negligent driver , kill a person on the road and get away with an easy light sentence as compared to a dope runner who gets a death penalty???!?!? I don’t know, I don’t understand!!

Our fight for Vui Kong is far from over. Let’s just do what we can and pray
that Vui Kong will be spared from that harsh death sentence.

OriginalResonance, I can’t help but agree with you. Death is similar to that period before you were born. No memories, no emotions, no acknowledgement of your own existent. I’m not a religious man, and i don’t believe in enlightenment, and i certainly don’t believe anyone is beyond death.

Sure OR, everyone seems to know a lot about Yong’s despondency. They read it in the news, they watch the interview with his brother and emotion takes over, the mind leads them into believing that this poor boy has, indeed, led a dog’s life prior to the drugs.

I’m not absolving Yong of any responsibility. I just don’t think he should die because of mistakes that anyone could have made, and especially at that stage in life when all that matters is you’re no longer poor.

One commenter argued that alcohol and gambling are “legal” – and yet that doesn’t stop families from breaking up because of those addictions. I firmly believe that addictions are only symptoms of far deeper unresolved issues that reach back countless millennia and perhaps across many lifetimes. I have never met ANYBODY who didn’t at some level require some form of emotional healing. This is where we would do well to focus our attention – not on harsh and punitive legislation that only further disempowers the individual and bestows way too much power to the state.

If he was not caught, the drugs would have kill or destroy many people lives. You give a chance to this man you have to give chance to the next one and the next and the next. Its going to be a harvest time for drug traffickers.

huh?

If the next one gets caught, his drugs will also not reach the end consumer. And if the next one after the next one gets caught, their drugs will also not reach the end consumers. It’s harvest time for CNB officers.

ariesho @95

Many here did not say to give chance to this man. They say NO to death sentence. Jail sentence is a big punishment in itself. By catching him, the drugs were stopped this once but there are many more like Yong that the drug lords can use and keep trying. There is no end to the supply of desperate kids and adults as the divide between rich and poor just keeps getting bigger and more family break down.

I wonder, which of these actions will fuel murderous thoughts in you.

1) Someone forcefully imprisons you and put you through unimaginable torture for a for whatever time frame. (you have no choice)
2) Someone rapes your baby girl, or your baby boy, or your mother or your girlfriend (they had no choice)
3) Someone who beats up the weak and old for years (the victims have no choice)
4) Someone who stole from you, stole your entire life savings, legally or illegally. (you had no choice)
5) Someone who tries to sell you drugs. (you have a choice)

Sounds simple? Then perhaps you can expand each of them in all horror and in all honesty. But guess which one still gets the death penalty? Not just death penalty mind you, but MANDATORY death penalty.

What are the intentions of the perpetrators of the first four actions? Direct and clear, and I don’t think I need to spell them out.
What is the intention of the last one?

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