Singapore Govt urged for leniency for mentally disabled Sabahan who will be executed on Feb 16

14 February 2022

By Wartawan Nabalu News

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Law Society (SLS), Advocates’ Association of Sarawak and the Bar of the States of Malaya have urged the Government of Singapore for clemency towards a mentally disabled Sabahan who will be executed on February 16.

In a statement today, President of SLS Roger Chin said the associations have co-signed two letters, one addressed to H.E. the President of the Republic of Singapore, and another addressed to H.E. the Prime Minister of Singapore.

“Both letters essentially called upon the Government of Singapore to exercise its powers of clemency to commute the death sentence imposed upon Pausi Jefridin, a Malaysian national from the state of Sabah who had been convicted of drug-trafficking in Singapore in 2010, and who is scheduled to hang on 16 February 2022.

“Pausi Jefridin who is intellectually disabled, having been medically assessed to have an IQ level of 67,” he said.

However, the Singapore courts had decided that 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.

“Our 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.

Chin asserted that Singapore has signed and ratified the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

“Therefore, as such, 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 considerations,” 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.

“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 said.