TAWAU: Member of parliament Datuk Chua Soon Bui has submitted a memorandum of appeal on Yong Vui Kong to Datuk Husein Hanif, the new Ambassador and Permanent Mission of Malaysia to the United Nations (UN) at the UN headquarters, New York, in July.
Chua said she briefed Husein that Vui Kong, a young Malaysian from Sandakan, who is now awaiting execution in Singapore for drug trafficking, was facing injustice.
Reference was made to Vui Kong’s counsel, M Ravi, that the Chief Justice of Singapore, Chan Sek Keong, should recuse or disqualify himself from hearing the youth’s appeal as he was in a position where conflict of interest occurred.
The Chief Justice had rejected the application despite it was validly made. As a result, Vui Kong suffered a breach of customary international law as a fair trial had been denied to him.
Vui Keong and his family had appealed to the Malaysian government to take the matter before the United Nations for adjudication in order to protect its citizen’s right to receive a fair trial.
Husein said he was well aware of Vui Kong’s case and he would, after consultation with Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry, proceed on a bilateral discussion with the Singapore government on the matter to be raised within the United Nations platform.
Vui Kong was working as a “runner” for an unidentified criminal boss. He was arrested in 2007 with 47 grams of heroin, being 19 years old at the time, which means he was not an adult (the age of majority in Singapore is 21 years).
He is also said to have been illiterate and did not know that the penalty for smuggling drugs was death, nor that the package he was carrying contained drugs.
Vui Kong was originally represented in the High Court by Kelvin Lim. Due to his young age, trial judge Justice Choo Han Teck asked the prosecution to consider reducing the charge against him (since execution is mandatory for convicted drug smugglers in Singapore). The prosecution declined, and Vui Keong was sentenced to death.
M Ravi, a human rights lawyer, took over the case and succeeded in obtaining a stay of execution. However, Chan Sek Keong, the Chief Justice of Singapore, ruled on 14 May 2010 that he would be hanged.
Defense lawyers have argued that Vui Kong’s execution violates human rights and the separation of powers in government.
M. Ravi has asked Malaysia to bring the case to the International Court of Justice.
I don't know about this. The decision is being made, and Yong Vui Kong himself has accepted his fate. Would another appeal save him?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, we'll just hope for the best for Yong.
ReplyDeleteThe drugs that he brought to Singapore potentially will going to destroy the life of a thousands of youth in the country...
ReplyDeleteharap pekara ini diadili dengan sebaiknya.
ReplyDeletejika Yong Vui Kong tidak bersalah pasti hukuman tersebut tidak dikenakan terhadapnya.
ReplyDeleteharap keadilan dapat membela nasib anak remaja ini. semoga keluarganya tabah dalam menghadapi apa saja keputusan kes ini.
ReplyDeleteVui Kong dan keluarganya kena tabah menhadapinya.
ReplyDeleteada undang2. Jika tidak bersalah maka dia akan dibebaskan dari tuduhan.
ReplyDeleteHarap keadilan akan terbukti.
ReplyDeleteSiapa2 pun tahu mengedar dadah adalah salah di sisi undang2. Jadi jangan sekali-kali melibatkan diri dengan dadah.
ReplyDeleteHope this case will be a lesson to people out there. Don't do drugs!
ReplyDeleteJadi buat ini sebagai satu pengajaran kepada kita. Dadah adalah musuh utama kita. Jangan permainan perkara ini.
ReplyDeletehope there's still a chance for this lad..after all he's repented..
ReplyDeletesemoga Vui Kong dan keluarganya tabah menhadapinya..
ReplyDeleteLet this be an example to all youngster out der. There is no future in involving with drug activities.
ReplyDeleteHopefully the appeal would save Yong. Everyone deserve a second chance.
ReplyDeleteHarap Yong dapat bebas daripada hukuman mati.
ReplyDeletethen there are many prisoners who need fair trial.. you should submit a memorandum of appeal on all prisoners as well..
ReplyDelete