Malaysian lawyers appeal to Singapore to spare the life of Pausi Jefridin

KOTA KINABALU: Singapore's President and Prime Minister are being urged by Malaysian lawyers to stop the execution of mentally disabled Sabahan, Pausi Jefridin.

Sabah Law Society, Advocates' Association of Sarawak and the Bar of the States of Malaya co-signed two letters addressed to the two Singapore leaders, calling upon them to exercise its powers of clemency to commute the death sentence of Pausi, who had been convicted of drug-trafficking in Singapore in 2010.

He is scheduled to be hanged on February 16.

Sabah Law Society president Roger Chin noted Pausi was mentally disabled, having been medically assessed to have an IQ level of 67.

The Singapore courts had decided his intellectual capacity was not diminished, and that he was fully cognizant of his actions and fully appreciated their legal consequences.

As such, there was no reason to disturb the finding of guilt and the imposition of the death penalty, the courts had said in their judgment.

Chin said their joint letter did not call for a review of the legal process in Pausi's case.

"Our call to the Government of Singapore is in relation to exercising mercy," he said.

He said Singapore has signed and ratified the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

As such, he said Singapore should give effect to commitments that it has made under the CRPD, including not executing people with intellectual disabilities.

"We sincerely and humbly urge the Government of Singapore to give these all due and necessary consideration," he added.

Saving the life of Pausi is not about putting the life of an individual ahead of the legitimate concerns of society, but about promoting the values of humanity and forgiveness, he said.

"Any system of justice that is deserving of respect is one that has space for compassion, forgiveness and mercy.

"More especially when it involves a person who has been medically diagnosed as being of impaired intellectual ability. That is what is needed at this time," he added.