KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 6 – A coalition of civil society organisations has today urged the Malaysian government to take immediate action to prevent the execution of Malaysian national Pannir Selvam Pranthaman in Singapore.

The groups said as the Asean chair, Malaysia has the opportunity to advocate against the death penalty, they said, calling for the government to intervene through diplomatic channels, including direct appeals to Singapore’s leadership.

“As a neighbouring state with close historical and diplomatic ties to Singapore, Malaysia is uniquely positioned to stand up for human rights and safeguard the rights of its nationals facing execution in the country.

“When human rights are at stake, silence is not a tenable option and all possible actions should be undertaken to halt executions and the use of the death penalty, including when it is applied in violation of international human rights law and just across our borders,” Amnesty International Malaysia and the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (Adpan) said in a joint statement here.

The groups said that Pannir, who was convicted in 2017 of importing 51.84g of heroin into Singapore, has exhausted all legal avenues and could face execution at any time.

“Pannir’s case has been riddled with several violations of international human rights law and standards,” they said.

The groups claimed that the prosecution did not provide Pannir with a Certificate of Substantial Assistance, leaving no option for the judge but to impose the mandatory death penalty — an alleged violation of his right to a fair trial.

The organisations also criticised Singapore’s use of legal presumptions under the Misuse of Drugs Act, which they said shifted the burden of proof onto defendants and undermined the right to be presumed innocent.

They also highlighted Singapore’s recent acceleration of executions, with eight out of nine individuals executed in 2024 for drug-related offences, and a new law limiting the ability of death row inmates to seek legal reviews.

Pannir has spent years advocating against the death penalty from his prison cell, writing songs and poems that have been shared by Sebaran Kasih, an NGO founded by his sister. His works have been performed by Malaysian artists, including Datuk DJ Dave, Santeshh Kumar and Kidd Santhe.

The statement was endorsed by 18 other organisations, including Lawyers for Liberty, Bersih, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram), and Sisters in Islam. It was also endorsed by several individuals, including human rights lawyer Andrew Khoo.