‘Why the rush to hang three men yesterday?’

Kuala Lumpur : Hindraf chairman P Waythomoorthy today criticised the hasty manner in which three men were executed yesterday, saying that it raised many questions on the arbitrary and uninformed method of execution implemented by the Prisons Department.

“Hindraf questions why was there a rush to execute these three individuals when they were only sentenced in 2011 and their Federal Court appeal dismissed in 2014.

“We are perplexed as to why these three individuals were specifically targeted for execution, and question the criteria used by the authorities to select who should be hanged,” said Waythamoorthy in a statement.

He added that according to Death Penalty Worlwide report, there were currently over 1,022 persons on death row in Malaysia, and the Prisons Department had stated that no execution had been carried out since 2013.

He further said that more than 50% of these estimated 1,022 persons facing the gallows have been waiting for their execution for more than five years.

This makes the reason for the quick execution of the trio yesterday more perplexing, said Waythamoorthy.

He added that the decision by the Malaysian authorities to hang the trio yesterday was wrong and conflicted with the statements and indications given out to the public by the government.

He added that a government minister was reported in a local daily on Nov 17, 2015 as saying that the government intended to abolish the mandatory death sentence, in particular for drug related offences.

The minister had also said that punishment should be left to the discretion of the courts, adding that amendments to the law would be tabled at the next parliament sitting in March 2016.

Waythamoorthy further said that on Nov 13, 2015, Attorney-General Apandi Ali had said he would propose to the Cabinet that the mandatory death penalty be scrapped.

“These statements show there is an intention on the part of the government to abolish the death penalty.

“As such it is shocking the government apparatus is going against the intentions of the government in executing these three individuals hastily, more so when they have only recently exhausted their final appeal.

“We wonder what the real intention in executing them hastily was and whether there were other motives behind this,” said Waythamoorthy.

He then added that the government should put into place a moratorium on all pending execution on the mandatory death penalty until the government amends the law in parliament to abolish capital punishment.

Yesterday morning three men – Gunasegar Pitchaymuthu, 35, Ramesh Jayakumar, 34, and his brother Sasivarnam Jayakumar, 37 – were executed by hanging after they were found guilty by the high court of murdering a 25-year-old man in a playground in 2005.

Their families had claimed that the hanging was done in secret by the authorities as they were given only two days notice.

The families received a letter two days before the execution, advising them to make a last visit to the men and funeral arrangements. A lawyer for the men was reported as saying that they themselves were only told on Thursday that they would be hanged on Friday.

The trio had claimed during their trial that they were acting in self-defence after being attacked by a group that included the victim.

Amnesty denounces ‘shocking’ executions

In another development, Amnesty International called the executions “shocking and disturbing”.

Malaysian and international organisations including the UN’s human rights body had this week issued appeals for authorities to stay the expected execution of Gunasegar, Ramesh and Sasivarnam.

“The fact that these state killings come at a time when the Malaysian government is actively discussing abolition of the mandatory death penalty makes them all the more shocking and disturbing,” Amnesty International’s Southeast Asia campaigns director Josef Benedict said in a statement.

“These hangings are a sickening reminder that the Malaysian authorities must redouble their efforts to establish a moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolition of the death penalty.”

Source : Berita Daily