S’pore urged to halt execution of another mentally disabled Malaysian
Lawyers For Liberty (LFL) is demanding the execution of Malaysian citizen Pausi Jefridin be halted due to his intellectual disability.
It is believed that Singapore would proceed with Pausi’s execution on Feb 16, and Pausi’s family was only notified on this matter just last week on Feb 9.
“This rush to execute an intellectually disabled person is...
Lawyers For Liberty (LFL) is demanding the execution of Malaysian citizen Pausi Jefridin be halted due to his intellectual disability.
It is believed that Singapore would proceed with Pausi’s execution on Feb 16, and Pausi’s family was only notified on this matter just last week on Feb 9.
“This rush to execute an intellectually disabled person is unfathomable.
“Pausi, who has an IQ of only 67, clearly comes within the threshold of persons with intellectual disability and thus comes within the protection of (the) Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
“Since Singapore has acceded to the CRPD, proceeding with the execution would mean that it is deliberately disregarding its international obligations,” said LFL in a statement today.
The group observed the country’s indifference to the previous international backlash its government faced in November last year over its plans to execute another mentally disabled detainee Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam.
The 33-year-old was sentenced to death in 2011 for trafficking 42.72g of diamorphine into Singapore.
“Despite the international backlash that the Singaporean government received in November 2021 when they wanted to execute Nagaenthran, they remain indifferent to civilised world opinion by once again planning to hang another mentally disabled person.
“Time and time again, Singapore is wilfully ignoring its international obligations. Imposing the death penalty on persons with mental disabilities is contrary to customary international law, inhumane and sickening.
“Both international law and the Singapore constitution prohibits the execution of anyone who suffers from a mental disorder,” added LFL.
LFL reasoned that with Nagaenthran’s case - which raised similar questions - still pending in court, it was unacceptable to carry out this execution while the courts had yet to decide on the critical legal and constitutional issues surrounding the execution of mentally disabled persons.
It was noted that Roslan Bakar, a Singaporean citizen with a borderline range of intellectual functioning, is also expected to be executed on the same day as Pausi’s following their conviction in 2010 on two charges of drug trafficking. Roslan’s family was also notified just last week.
"We, therefore, urge the Singapore government to halt Pausi and Roslan’s execution immediately, review their cases thoroughly and consider the exercise of presidential clemency in light of their mental disability and Singapore’s treaty obligations under the CRPD," said LFL.
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