A Malaysian lawyer has asked the Malaysian government to intervene in Singapore’s refusal to let lawyers confer with two Malaysians sentenced to die here. The lawyer who is also an opposition MP, N Surendran, is representing the two death row inmates in Malaysia.
“Our applications for access were rejected by the Singapore Prison Services without any reasons being given,” Mr Surendran said in a statement today. Adding: “Access to lawyers and to the courts is a fundamental right, which cannot be interfered with.”
He further said that the Malaysian government should push the Republic, pointing out that Malaysia allowed a Singaporean lawyer to confer with a compatriot who was sentenced to death there.
Mr Surendran is representing S. Prabagaran and K. Datchinamurthy in Malaysia and according to him, Singapore has denied lawyers access to both since February.
Datchinamurty was found guilty by Singapore’s High Court for dealing 44.96g of diamorphine (pure heroin) in 2015. Prabagaran was arrested with over 20g of banned opiates in 2012, and subsequently convicted of drug trafficking and given the mandatory death sentence.
Both men have claimed that their trial in Singapore was “unfair” and are appealing the death sentences.