Cops reportedly probing Nagaenthran candlelight vigil participants
The police are reportedly probing the participants of a candlelight vigil on Tuesday, organised by the Malaysian Bar Council, held in solidarity with Nagaenthran Dharmalingam, a Malaysian death row inmate in Singapore.
Malaysian Bar Council Human Rights Committee member New Sin Yew claimed this on Twitter last night, adding that he had been asked to provide his statement at the Dang Wangi district headquarters next week.
“I am being investigated by...
The police are reportedly probing the participants of a candlelight vigil on Tuesday, organised by the Malaysian Bar Council, held in solidarity with Nagaenthran Dharmalingam, a Malaysian death row inmate in Singapore.
Malaysian Bar Council Human Rights Committee member New Sin Yew claimed this on Twitter last night, adding that he had been asked to provide his statement at the Dang Wangi district headquarters next week.
“I am being investigated by the police over the Malaysian Bar’s candlelight vigil for Nagaenthran in front of the Singapore High Commission on April 26.
“I have been asked to provide my statement at the Dang Wangi police headquarters next week,” he said.
New added that his colleague Yohendra Nadarajan, who was also present at the protest, had been called up as well.
Malaysiakini has reached out to the Dang Wangi district police chief Noor Dellhan Yahaya for confirmation.
Tuesday’s protest was held on the eve of Nagaenthran’s execution following the Singapore Court of Appeal’s dismissal of his mother’s final appeal to set aside his conviction and death sentence.
Malay Mail reported that the vigil had around 40 participants, who held up banners and makeshift candle holders for half an hour under the watchful eye of 30 police personnel.
Nagaenthran, 34, had been on death row for more than a decade for trafficking 44g of heroin into Singapore, which has some of the world’s toughest narcotics laws.
Nagaenthran’s case has attracted worldwide attention, with a group of United Nations experts and British billionaire Richard Branson joining Malaysia’s prime minister and human rights activists to urge Singapore to commute his death sentence.
His lawyers and activists have said Nagaenthran’s IQ was found to be at 69, a level recognised as an intellectual disability.
However, the courts determined that he knew what he was doing at the time of his crime, and ruled there was no admissible evidence showing any decline in his mental condition.
The Singapore government says the death penalty is a deterrent against drug trafficking and most of its citizens support capital punishment.
Politicians not welcome at funeral
Nagaenthran was executed early yesterday morning at a Singapore prison.
His body arrived at the family home in Tanjung Rambutan from Singapore around midnight last night, where many relatives and friends had gathered to pay their last respect.
Nagaenthran’s family said politicians are not welcome at his funeral.
His eldest sister Sarmila reportedly said last night that her family did not receive any help when they really needed it and that it is best for politicians to not come now for publicity.
"We don’t need their help. We don’t want any politicians to come. We have struggled for years but no one came to help us.
"With donations from Singaporeans, we have funds to manage everything," she said, as reported by news portal The Vibes this morning.
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