Local human rights organisation MARUAH has lodged an appeal to the President of Singapore asking him to stay the order to execute Jabing Kho, who (based on the letter received by his family) is sentenced to be hanged on 20 May (tomorrow).
MARUAH agreed that Jabing should be punished for the crime he committed, but as there is a lack of unanimity in Jabing’s death sentence, that the punishment should not be death.
“In this case, where there are doubts as to the number of times Jabing Kho had hit the deceased, as highlighted by the dissenting judges, should the final outcome of the death penalty still be given to Jabing Kho?” MARUAH asked.
The human rights organisation said that considering Singapore’s recent amendment of the law where the mandatory death penalty only remained for murder with the intention to kill, Jabing deserves a review of his death sentence.
“It is unclear whether the President of Singapore has promised to look into his clemency appeal – if a plea is filed. We also assume that the execution will go on, in the absence of any plea,” the President of MARUAH, Braema Mathi said.
She added: “While we may have different views on the death penalty it is equally important that Jabing Kho has the full weight of our law and justice behind him. Currently we do not feel that this is so and are concerned that Jabing Kho might pay this price.”
