A group of about 20 activists have renewed calls for the Malaysian government, as Asean chair, to urge Singapore to commute Malaysian P Pannir Selvam’s death sentence.
Members of the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (Adpan), Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) and Amnesty International Malaysia gathered outside the Singapore High Commission here tonight, where they held placards and chanted slogans such as “Give Pannir a second chance”, “Abolish the death penalty” and “Free Pannir”.
Pannir, a 38-year-old who was sentenced to death in 2017 after being convicted of drug trafficking in Singapore, will appear before the Singapore Court of Appeal at 10am tomorrow for a post-appeal application hearing.
Adpan project officer Janice Ananthan urged the Malaysian government to protect its citizens abroad.
“Malaysia has reformed some of our death penalty laws. As Asean chair and Pannir’s home country, we call on the government to act,” she said at the rally.
Amnesty International campaigner Qistina Johari said Pannir’s sister was in Singapore for the hearing, while his parents were in Ipoh.
The group also called on the Singapore government to “end the cruel and inhuman punishment” of the death penalty.
NGOs have previously urged Singapore to commute Pannir’s sentence and impose a moratorium on executions.
Pannir was convicted on June 27, 2017 of trafficking in 51.84gm of diamorphine through the Woodlands checkpoint on Sept 3, 2014.
Pannir, who was given a package by a Malaysian to be handed over to a Singaporean man once he arrived in the republic, has consistently denied knowing that the package contained drugs.
On Feb 19, he was granted a stay of execution by the Court of Appeal just hours before his scheduled execution.
Pannir was also granted a stay of execution in 2019.
