KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) – A Malaysian man, Datchinamurthy Kataiah, was executed by hanging in Singapore on Thursday afternoon for drug trafficking, marking the city-state's eleventh execution of the year. This incident highlights ongoing debates and renewed calls for the abolition of the death penalty in Singapore, where capital punishment remains a contentious issue.
Datchinamurthy, 39, was arrested in 2011 for trafficking approximately 45 grams (1.6 ounces) of heroin into Singapore. Originally scheduled to be executed in 2022, he received a temporary reprieve when he sought legal intervention; however, his appeals were ultimately dismissed in August. On the day of his execution, his family was initially informed that the hanging would be delayed. They received this notification early Thursday, only to learn later that the decision had been reversed, and the execution would proceed, with authorities requesting them to collect his body shortly thereafter.
The Central Narcotics Bureau of Singapore released a statement confirming the execution, which they emphasized followed a thorough legal process. They highlighted that Datchinamurthy's petitions for presidential clemency were unsuccessful and reiterated the seriousness of the crime he committed, citing that the quantity of heroin involved could potentially sustain the addiction of around 540 individuals for one week.
The legal representative for Datchinamurthy, N. Surendran, denounced the execution as an act of "state barbarism." He criticized the authorities for giving false hope to Datchinamurthy and his family before ultimately proceeding with the execution, describing the actions as “unforgivable and uncivilized.” His comments reflect a growing discontent among human rights advocates regarding the judicial practices surrounding the death penalty in Singapore.
In response to Datchinamurthy's impending execution, anti-death penalty activists organized candlelight vigils in both Kuala Lumpur and Singapore earlier in the week. As the third Malaysian executed this year, he brings the total number of people executed in Singapore to eleven, a stark increase from nine executions throughout the entirety of 2022. Reports indicate that over 40 individuals remain on death row in the nation.
This week, more than 30 human rights organizations united to call for a halt to executions in Singapore. The organizations expressed concern over pending executions for three other Malaysian nationals and a Singaporean, whose cases involve drug offenses ranging from seven to ten years. They have recently exhausted their legal appeals, raising alarms about the continued use of the death penalty for drug-related crimes.
Singapore's stringent legal framework mandates the death penalty for anyone caught with more than 15 grams of heroin or 500 grams of cannabis. Critics argue that the enforcement of the death penalty disproportionately affects low-level drug mules, failing to significantly impact the larger drug trafficking networks or organized crime syndicates. Conversely, the Singaporean government defends the death penalty as a necessary measure to ensure the safety and well-being of its citizens.
