Andrew Loh –
On Friday, 31 Malaysian Members of Parliament and 11 senators gave their support to the Save Vui Kong campaign. Yong Vui Kong is a 22-year old Malaysian who is currently on Singapore’s death row after being convicted for drug trafficking.
[Picture left: Vui Kong, extreme right, as a young boy.]
The backing from the MPs and senators for the campaign comes at a time when there is growing awareness and support for Yong in Malaysia. According to the “Save Vui Kong Campaign” activists, the MPs include 21 Pakatan MPs, including DAP’s Karpal Singh, and eight MPs from Barisan Nasional, the ruling coalition.
MP for Sabah, Datuk Chua Soon Bui, said Yong can give back to society by reaching out to young people who might be vulnerable to drug traffickers. Rather than kill him, he should be allowed to repent and share his story, she said on 25 July. (See here) Datuk Chua said a number of people in the district of Tawau have joined in the task to gather signatures. She herself would conduct her own rounds for the same purpose, she added.
Malaysia wrote to the Singapore government in July to appeal for clemency for Yong. “We sympathise with what had transpired and will do everything possible within our powers or diplomatic means to solve the problem,” Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said.
Campaigners have so far collected 14,000 signatures from members of the public in Malaysia. An online petition has garnered almost 15,000 signatures to date. A blog has been created for the campaign: Save Vui Kong.
Besides the politicians’ support, non-governmental organizations have also lent their voices in the bid to save Yong from the gallows. These include the Malaysian Bar Association, The Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia and Amnesty International Malaysia.
Yong’s family has also made its own appeal to the President of Singapore, SR Nathan.
In Singapore, activists took to the city’s Speakers’ Corner last Sunday to add their voices to the clemency plea. A Facebook photo project urging Singaporeans to show their support through pictures have also been set up.
In the meantime, the lawyer for Yong, Mr M Ravi, filed an application for judicial review with the Singapore courts on 22 July. Mr Ravi’s application argued that the clemency process has been so prejudged that the court should issue an order of prohibition to prevent the execution and the clemency process from moving ahead. Mr Ravi’s application cites the Singapore Law Minister’s remarks in a public forum and the Law Ministry’s later press statement on the matter as having “irreversibly tainted the clemency process with apparent bias”.
Mr Ravi’s application also argued that the Elected President’s powers under Article 22P of the Constitution has been usurped by Cabinet in advance of the clemency petition being received. (See here for a fuller report.)
Judgement on the application is pending.
The media in Singapore, however, have played down the issue and the Malaysian campaign to save Yong has hardly been reported.
Yong has taken up Buddhist studies while in prison and has pledged, if he is given a second chance, to use his time to counsel those who, like him, have fallen victim to crime.
Read also: Family prays for clemency for Sabahan on death row - The Star Online.
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Why spare this trouble maker? This is not fair to the next one caught and also those who went through.
It is a “Human Right” era on growing Worldwide. Entities that against “Human Right” will be disappear / phase-out regardless of polical party , regilion , organization , law etc.
Humans will be facing the reproduce risk or can’t reproduce continue. Human life will structure our future.
Malaysian legislation provides for a mandatory death penalty for convicted drug traffickers. If you are arrested in possession of 15 grams (1/2 ounce) of heroin or 200 grams (seven ounces) of marijuana, you will be presumed by law to be trafficking in drugs.
If Singaporean commit claim who will step up to plead help.
If a immigrants commit crime, Foreigner will stand up to help their kind.
If let this Malaysian goes, it betray my believe as a local. We punish our local but allowing immigrants to commit crime.
TILL NOW, I STRONGLY BELIEVE THIS MALAYSIAN MUST B HANG N B TERMINATED.
Sillypores, i think you all should be made aware that Vui Kong made the drug trafficking offence when he was still UNDERAGE. That was why there the Malyasian MPs are pleading for leniency on his behalf.
God create man. No man have the rights to end another life. Even in this modern world where the law can be use as the hand of God. We need to remember there is mercy in this world.
The birthplace of the earliest known pre-historic man was said to have originated from Africa.
Should the African be wiser then Singapore, when Kenya – being a member of the Commonwealth countries with the same set of British legacy as in Singapore – had her Court of Appeals declaring that the ‘mandatory death penalty is unconstitutional’ ?
If the Kenyan politicians are not as talented as the Singapore political talents from the Pro Alien Party – they must be at least more law abiding and more politically and morally concious of their responsibilities towards society.
At least in Kenya, they do not dispense justice on the basis of expediency and on the basis of cost, as is the typical value process of Singapore’s politicians from the Pro Alien Party.
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Mandatory death sentence unconstitutional: Kenya Court of Appeals
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2010/08/mandatory-death-penalty-unconstitutional-kenya-court-of-appeal/
The problem with Singapore is that it is not that justice is blind, but the law. The scary thing is that everything becomes clockwork, like some mass production machinery – boh nang cheng – the court’s hands are TIED by the govt. And it boils down to ONE man’s decision to kill anyone who dare to leave mud on HIS floor. Killing a person becomes no more significant than slaughtering a chicken or lamb. But yet, there has been instances when double standards have been seen.
Well said! My sentiments exactly @ George
Instead of helping Vui Kong, I personally think all these high-level petitions by TOC and Malaysian politicians (who mainly did it out of gaining publicity and PR for themselves)are in fact, sending Vui Kong straight to the gallows!
If we all know Singapore government well enough, they will definitely not accede to such request or petition by foreign forces and pressure groups, as this would means creating a precedent for future similar cases.
All these petitions had only make Singapore government more resolute in carrying out the death sentences of Vui Kong…a case of 好心做坏事!
I think Seet made a very good point.
But then again, it’s also better they try since if they don’t take any action, Vui Kong will definitely be hanged, albeit a lot more quietly.
Even if Vui Kong is hanged, he would not have had died in vain. His case very clearly exposed the evils of the Singapore system. With the Alan author’s case, Singapore is now on every real 1st world’s “pui” list !!!
Thanks to Alan Shardrake’s book. Very well written Highly recommended
Someone should send copies of Shadrake’s book to all 84 Singapore MPs!
What is the point of reading the Shadrake’s book when the cut and thrust debate is going to be bared during the High Court trial? We can see who is telling the truth and to be believed in time for you to cast your vote in the GE.
My boyfriend wonders: If a Singaporean were caught in a similar situation in Malaysia & has also repented, would Malaysia spare his life?
He does not think so.
The correct thing for the Malaysian MPs and Senators is to mount campaigns in Malaysia first to spare the execution of drug traffickers and those waiting for the death penalty in Malaysia. Such persons could be languishing in their prisons for years. If they are successful in the campaign on their Malaysian gahmen not to execute the condemned men/women, then come to Singapore. Put your own house in order first; otherwise you have no locus standi to speak on the death penalty!