M'sian death row diplomacy 'lacklustre': Panel

Summary

• Lawyers for Liberty criticises the government’s weak efforts to assist Malaysians facing execution overseas, citing cases like Pannir Selvam Pranthanam and Nagaenthran Dharmalingam.

• UK lawyer Edward Fitzgerald praises the Philippines for its proactive diplomatic interventions to save citizens on death row, saying strong advocacy influenced outcomes.

• Filipino lawyer Edre U Olalia stresses the importance of mobilisation and cross-border solidarity, pointing to Mary Jane Veloso’s case as a model for effective collective action.

Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) executive director Zaid Malek said the Malaysian government has been “lacklustre” when it comes to acting for its citizens on death row in other countries.

The human rights lawyer was speaking at the Cross-Border Defence for Persons on Death Row in the Asia Pacific panel organised by the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (Adpan), LFL, the Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR), and Monash University.

On the other hand, panellist Edward Fitzgerald, a lawyer from the United Kingdom, praised the Philippine government for championing their citizens on death row abroad.

“I have certainly seen lots of evidence in Filipino cases. The strong advocacy from the Filipino government for their own citizens makes a massive difference and saves many lives.

“I think there was one occasion where they threatened to cut off economic ties if an execution went ahead,” he said.

Fitzgerald was possibly referring to then-Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte’s warning in 2018 that he might halt the migration of Filipino workers to the Middle East following reports of rape and suicide cases involving Filipinos there.

The event was held in conjunction with World Day Against the Death Penalty, which fell on Oct 10.

This comes after the execution of Malaysian Pannir Selvam Pranthanam in Singapore on Oct 8 for smuggling drugs into the republic.

Commenting further, Zaid condemned the Malaysian government, singling out Deputy Home Minister Shamsul Anuar Nasarah’s remark in the Dewan Rakyat on Oct 7 that Pannir’s information on drug networks to police was “of no operational value”.

He called it “the last nail in Pannir’s coffin”.

Zaid said the government’s response was also lacking in the case of Nagaenthran Dharmalingam, who was said to have an IQ of 69 - a level recognised as an intellectual disability.

‘Not just legal cases’

Filipino lawyer Edre U Olalia highlighted the lessons activists can draw from the case of Mary Jane Veloso in building cross-border collaborations to defend individuals on death row.

Veloso, who was his client, was saved from execution in Indonesia by global attention and sustained media coverage paired with a high level of civil society involvement, he said.

“The Philippines government’s political diplomatic efforts did not come from nowhere.

“It was precipitated and prompted by mass action, appeals, protests of people’s organisations, as well as the involvement of the church and endorsed groups over time,” he added.

He further stressed the importance of solidarity through collective action, saying that such cases are often not solely legal.

“It involves the intersection of poverty, gender, and forced migration,” he said.

In 2010, Veloso, a domestic helper, was arrested after her arrival in Indonesia with 2.6kg of heroin.

In 2015, she was spared from execution by firing squad at the last minute following a request from the Filipino government.

In November 2024, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr announced that he had reached a deal for Veloso to return to her home country and serve a sentence there.

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