Nagaenthran accorded full due process under the law, says Singapore

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan have replied to their Malaysian counterparts saying that the Malaysian awaiting execution for a drug offence in the republic has been accorded full due process under the law.

This is according to a statement issued by the republic’s foreign ministry in response to media queries on the appeal letters from Malaysian leaders on the judicial execution of Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, a 33-year old Malaysian from Perak.

Both Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah had written to their Singapore counterparts, requesting for the discretion of the authorities in Singapore to grant presidential clemency to Nagaenthran.

“In this case, I have to repeat, we can apply, through our means, (by) sending a letter, but we cannot interfere in terms of the affairs and legal processes in Singapore,” Saifuddin had told reporters, adding that Malaysia respects Singapore’s legal process.

Nagaenthran was arrested by Singaporean authorities on April 22, 2009, for smuggling 42.72g of diamorphine. He was sentenced to death by the High Court of Singapore on Nov 22, 2010.

The appeal process through the court was made by Nagaenthran’s family lawyer up to the final stage, which is the presidential clemency rejected on June 1, 2020.

Nagaenthran, who has been on death row for 11 years and was scheduled to be hanged on Nov 10, obtained temporary respite on Nov 9 after the court was told he had tested positive for Covid-19 when he appeared for a last-bid attempt against his sentence.

Nagaenthran was granted a further stay of execution by the Court of Appeal.