Human rights groups urge that Nagaenthran be allowed to carry out sentence in Malaysia

PUTRAJAYA: Human rights groups championing for the abolishment of the death sentence on Friday (April 22) urged the Home Ministry to exercise its power under the International Transfer of Prisoners Act 2012 (Act 754) to transfer Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, who is facing a death sentence in Singapore, back to Malaysia.

Nagaenthran, who was from Perak, was sentenced to hang by the Singapore High Court in 2010 for smuggling 42.72 grams (g) of diamorphine, which would be carried out on April 27.

Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (Malaysia) (Adpan) executive coordinator Dobby Chew Chuan Yang said the international inmate transfer process was under the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry and was a last ditch effort to bring Nagaenthran home to carry out his sentence.

He claimed that Nagaenthran was a person with intellectual disabilities (PwD) and had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and should not be sentenced to hang due to his his condition.

Chew made the comments to reporters after handing in an application letter to Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin regarding Nagaenthran’s transfer to Malaysia, together with representatives from Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) dan Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), at the grounds of the Home Ministry here on Friday.

The letter was accepted by deputy secretary of the ministry’s corporate communications unit, Mohd Rizal Hashim.

Act 754, among other things, allows for the transfer of Malaysian inmates held abroad to serve the remainder of their jail sentence in Malaysia, subject to several conditions.

"This is no longer a legal process, it is not a pardon issue but a diplomatic process between Malaysia and Singapore.

"Return our citizen to allow him (Nagaenthran) to carry out his sentence in Malaysia," Chew said. - Bernama