Here’s a brief summary of what transpired in Malaysia today where an emergency motion was put forth to debate the fate of Yong Vui Kong, a Malaysian national who is on Singapore’s death row since 2007 for drug trafficking.
Dispatch by Choo Zheng Xi / Kuala Lumpur
Lawyer for death row inmate Yong Vui Kong, Mr Madasamy Ravi, was today put in direct contact with Malaysia’s Director-General of International Affairs to further discuss a possible Malaysian action at the International Court of Justice to protect Yong’s right to due process in the event that judicial review action is rejected.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman, together with PKR Parliamentarian Tian Chua, met with Mr Ravi as well. The Foreign Minister promised to write directly to Singapore’s Foreign Minister George Yeo to seek clemency for Yong.
“We sympathise with what had transpired and will do everything possible within our powers or diplomatic means to solve the problem,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby Monday. (The Star Online)
“I will be writing to my counterpart in Singapore based on the arguments put forward (Ravi and Chua) and plead for clemency,” Anifah said.
“He has one more avenue and we will be writing to the Singapore government soon,” the minister said, adding that the time frame will be determined as soon as the legal basis is sorted out. (Free Malaysia Today)
Correspondence will include attached legal opinion from Mr Ravi and will request urgent action.
Mr Ravi also met with various other officials from the various political parties, including the leader of the opposition, Datuk Anwar Ibrahim.
The Online Citizen will have a full report tomorrow (Tuesday).
Read also:
Govt to appeal to S’pore for clemency in Yong’s sentence – The Star Online.
Local man in Singapore death row gets govt support – Free Malaysia Today.
Here’s a video by Malaysiakini of the press conference held in KL this afternoon:
TOC’s Anti-Mandatory Death Penalty video:
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Transcript of the video @ http://sgdeathpenalty.blogspot.com/
Yong Vui Kong’s counsel, M. Ravi speaking to Malaysia press today:
“It is not merely on compassionate grounds that the malaysian Government should do something about this matter. Because both Singapore and Malaysia have the mandatory death sentence.
That I know will not really be an appealing issue for the Malaysian government, although the Malaysian government and UMNO recently have appealed to the Chinese government when a malaysian girl who trafficked 2.9kg of heroin was sentenced to death in Beijing. They appealed on compassionate grounds.
Yong Vui Kong had only trafficked 47g of heroin as compared to 2.9g of heroin by Umi, a Malaysian girl. In the same spirit they could appeal to the Singapore government using all the diplomatic channels given that Singapore is just next door compared to Beijing. If they could interfere and appeal to the Chinese government for 2.9kg of heroin, what is 47g?
And given Yong Vui Kong’s exceptional circumstances that he faces given the fact that he was 19 years old when he was charged, given the fact he comes from Sabah from a broken family, and his mom was a slave. She’s a dishwasher and earns just RM$200 a month and the whole family was split. Hence the big boss lead him to drug trafficking and made use of him. So he was basically a victim.
As much as we want to protect the country from drug trafficking, what we’ve come to understand is that this young boy is a victim. that is a compassionate ground. Whether the Malaysian government wants to take it up, its another issue altogether.
But let it not be mistaken: I’ve come to malaysia for the third time in three weeks…
What i’m surprised is that the malaysian government does not even take an interest to find out what’s happening to the case. This boy stands to hang next month if we don’t do anything about it.”
Will Singapore do the right thing, give in to the plea of clemency, & abolish the dealth penalty for good? It’s doubtful but seriously, the Singapore gov should start thinking about its people & moral values. Murder is against moral values. Death penalty is murder.
Should be seeking an audience with the King, asking him to write to the prata man.
Great. Now PAP have something to talk about during the elections.
Ravi got photograph with Anwar sia :D Great work sir!
Will Singapore do the right thing and uphold the death sentences against greedy drug traffickers like Vui Kong? I hope so…as anything else will sent a wrong message to all those heartless criminals who intend to earn big bucks out of drug trafficking, without any considerations at all for the devastating and destructive effects it can caused!
Maybe Singapore should go for a citizen vote on whether to keep the mandatory death sentence or not!
I’m confident majority of Singaporeans would want to keep the mandatory death sentence, and I’m sure the outcome of the vote would sent a strong message to the vocal minority who are against it.
I will vote to keep the mandatory death sentence!
Gosh, he is too young to die. It is extremely cruel to send him to the gallows. What kind of society are we living in? The people who decided that he should die had better examined their brains.
I am dead against the death penalty. If at all the death penalty has to be enforced, then I think MM should be the first to hang. He has done more harm to the nation than Yong, besides being the man behind passing the law on mandatory death penalty. Whatever reasons MM has in favor of the MDP, he is wrong, wrong and wrong. Nothing will change until this old man dies. So let’s hope he dies quickly, today if possible, if not tomorrow, for the good of mankind. So God, please help.
From the bottom of my heart, I really commend Ravi’s effort in saving this young man’s life, and sincerely hope this final move with the intervention of the Malaysian government will at least convert the man’s sentence to a jail term. God have mercy..
Good on you Ravi. My utmost respect, you are a man of conscience.
Shame on the Pro Alien Party for the traversty of justice that it had been indulging with such impunity since coming into power in 1957.
Now the TRUTH is out that the Singapore Judges have no real independence, as the Laws are written so specifically that the Judges are mere executors and WILL NOT provide even their independent will when injustice occur.
It has to take a young lawyer to be fired by the injustice to make a stand, to defend Singapore’s HONOR in not making any further injustice when the DUE PROCESS available has been corrupted by the cynical powers given to the Pro Alien Party to govern without any checks and balances.
On matters of appeal, The Cabinet is suppose to “advises” the President – with all the opinions of the Judiciary and that of the Government; and the President is supposed to exercise INDEPENDENT judgement.
The entire process is not exposed as a FAILURE – as the Pro Alien Party is determined to exercise its own political will over all issues while governing Singapore.
It is not a suprise that it has to bastardise the Singapore Constitution with all the subsequent amendments that makes the Constitution a worthless bundle of paper that no longer give Singaporean Citizens and Residents any space to lead a meaningful, productive and creative life.
The vicious cycle in all the problems in Singapore have been created by the Pro Alien Party – that has been too long in power since 1957.
Is it not a surprise that the Pro Alien Party will blame Singaporeans for the decline in birth rates, the lack of creativity and entrepreneurship, the political apathy, and the lack of vibrancy.
After 57 years, it is time for change !
To all SG’AN
“STOP” bullying M’Sia chinese who work in Singapore.
Correction to be made:-
The entire process is NOW exposed as a FAILURE – as the Pro Alien Party is determined to exercise its own political will over all issues while governing Singapore.
[Quote]
The first incident took place on 15 March during the Court of Appeal hearing itself. Attorney General Walter Woon, in addressing the issue of a presidential clemency appeal, revealed that “although in theory it’s the President who exercises the prerogative of mercy, it is the Cabinet who makes the decision”.
“What is so startling about this disclosure,” Mr Ravi explained, “is that Article 22(p) of the Constitution clearly states that ‘such sentence has been confirmed by the appellate court, the President shall cause the reports which are made to him by the Judge who tried the case and the Chief Justice or other presiding Judge of the appellate court to be forwarded to the Attorney-General with instructions that, after the Attorney-General has given his opinion thereon, the reports shall be sent, together with the Attorney-General’s opinion, to the Cabinet
[UNQUOTE]
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Ref #1
Background of Lawyer Ravi’s legal position
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2010/06/lawyer-urges-malaysian-government-to-intervene-in-death-row-case/
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“If I were in authority in Singapore indefinitely without having to ask those who are governed whether they like what is being done, then I would not have the slightest doubt that I could govern much more effectively in their interests.” – Mr Lee Kuan Yew, 1962
“We have to lock up people, without trial, whether they are communists, whether they are language chauvinists, whether they are religious extremists. If you don’t do that, the country would be in ruins.” – Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, 1986
“Between being loved and being feared, I have always believed Machiavelli was right. If nobody is afraid of me, I’m meaningless.” – Lee Kuan Yew, 6.10.1997
Please Mr Lee Kuan Yew, show mercy on the parents. It’s hard to bring up 6
children and sometimes one will get out of line. He was 18 when he committed the crime and the amount is 47 gms not that
little but not that much either to deserve death by hanging.Put him in prison for life without parole and he
can work for the prison for free