Surendran urges S'pore to spare M'sian drug mule, citing strong grounds for clemency

PKR Vise-President N. Surendran.

PETALING JAYA: Lawyers for Liberty is urging the Singaporean government not to proceed with the execution of Malaysian P. Pannir Selvam.

Its advisor N. Surendran (pic) said Pannir – who was convicted in 2017 of trafficking 51.84g of diamorphine at Woodlands Checkpoint on Sept 3, 2014 – had strong grounds for clemency.

"Pannir had strong grounds for clemency as he assisted Singapore authorities by providing critical information on an individual named Anand, who is believed to be the mastermind who duped him into carrying a package to Singapore.

"He was unreasonably denied the certificate of assistance by the public prosecutor, despite the information he supplied on Anand.

"The certificate would have enabled the court to pass a sentence of life imprisonment instead of death," said Surendran in a press statement on Saturday (May 18).

Surendran claimed Singapore had denied Pannir of his constitutional rights.

"Pannir's final recourse of a clemency petition to the President of Singapore has been tainted with illegality and unlawful acts by the Singaporean authorities.

"He has consistently denied that he knew he was carrying prohibited drugs. Furthermore, in convicting him, the High Court judge found that he was a mere courier or drug mule.

"Once again, Singapore is planning to execute a mere drug mule, whilst the drug kingpins continue to ply their trade with impunity," he added.

Surendran added that the Malaysian government should press the Singapore to halt the execution and for Pannir's sentence to be commuted to life imprisonment.