Yong Vui Kong, a 22-year old Malaysian, was sentenced to mandatory death in January 2009, for trafficking 47 grams of Heroin into Singapore. He had exhausted his appeals by August this year and he’ll be hanged next month! He can only escape execution if the Singapore President grants clemency.
Yong Vui Kong, a 22 year old young man from Sabah, is about to be hanged in Singapore.
He was arrested in 13 June 2007, when he was 18 years and 6 months old, by officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau, Singapore. He was later charged with trafficking drug amounting to 47.27g of heroin, an offence under s 5(1)(a) of the Misuse of Drugs Act (Cap 185). He was convicted in 7 January 2009 and sentenced to death.
In Singapore there is a mandatory death sentence for all drug trafficking cases involving more than 15g of heroin leaving judges no discretion to consider factors such as age, background of the offender or other special circumstances.
Yong was brought up in poverty and had taken on odd jobs at an early age of 10. He received very little education and was left alone without any real guidance. These have eventually led him to the path that damages others’ lives. Yong is a changed person after his imprisonment. Finding faith in Buddhism, he is using the remaining days of his life to counsel fellow inmates and also educate the general public on how drugs destroy life.
Youg Vui Kong has exhausted his appeals. The only hope for his life being spared is if he is granted clemency and his death sentence is commuted to a prison sentence.
The last day for Yong to file petition for clemency is 26 August 2010. After which he will be hanged at anytime. But his clemency appeal was tinted after the Law Minister K Shanmugam’s controversial comments on the case.
Please take a few minutes to support this urgent petition that appeal to President of the Republic of Singapore, Mr S.R Nathan to give a second chance to Yong.
You can sign the on-line petition and forward the following link to your contacts for support.
