JOHOR BARU: While many may see K. Datchinamurthy as just another death row convict, his family remembers him as a loving son and brother who stood strong for them until the very end.
His sister, K. Logesh, 37, said that her brother, who was executed in Singapore on Thursday (Sept 25), had always put his family first.
“He was a good brother and a son who loved his family dearly.
“Even in his final days, he remained strong for us, telling us not to be sad and that he was ready to be with God.
“I miss him very much, and I will always remember his smile,” she said when met during Datchinamurthy’s funeral at the Ulu Tiram Catholic Cemetery here on Sept 27.
Meanwhile, his brother-in-law said 39-year-old Datchinamurthy, also known as David Martin, appeared calm the last time they saw him on Wednesday (Sept 24).
“He has always been known to be a jovial person and remained that way until his last day.
“He did not show his sadness when we last saw him. Instead, he consoled his family and told them to let him go in peace,” he said, adding that Datchinamurthy was the third of four siblings and the only son.
Datchinamurthy was arrested in 2011 and later convicted of trafficking about 45g of heroin into Singapore.
He was due to be hanged in 2022 but won a last-minute reprieve pending a legal challenge, which was dismissed by a court in August this year.
Malaysian lawyer Surendran K. Nagarajan, who represented the family, reportedly said they were informed early on Thursday (Sept 25) that the execution scheduled at dawn had been halted.
But hours later, Singapore prison authorities reversed the decision, informing the family that the execution would proceed and asking them to collect his body in less than two hours, he said.
No reason was given for the brief postponement.
Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau announced his execution in a statement, saying Datchinamurthy had been given the full legal process and that his petitions for presidential clemency were unsuccessful.
He was the third Malaysian and 11th person to be executed in Singapore this year, compared with nine executions in the whole of 2024, according to rights activists. More than 40 people remain on death row in the island republic.
