PETALING JAYA: A second Malaysian on death row across the Causeway, who had been scheduled to be hanged today, has managed to win a reprieve after having to fight his case in two Singapore courts in a space of just hours.

       After Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam’s execution on Wednesday, Datchinamurty Kataiah had been scheduled to be hanged today but he won a stay of execution after he represented himself at the Singapore High Court yesterday morning.

       The country’s Attorney General (AG), however, immediately filed an appeal against the stay and the appeal was fast-tracked to be heard at 2.30pm by the Supreme Court yesterday.

       Singaporean social activist Kokila Annamalai posted on Facebook later that the appeal had been dismissed by the Supreme Court.

       “Datchinamurty has been granted a stay of execution by a High Court judge,” said Lawyers for Liberty adviser N. Surendran after the morning’s hearing.

       “There will be no execution on Friday morning. Datchinamurty argued the case himself as no Singaporean lawyer dared to represent him for fear of reprisal from the state,” claimed Surendran in a tweet.“We will proceed with a legal battle to set aside his conviction,” said Surendran in a brief text.

       Datchinamurty has been on death row in Singapore’s Changi prison since he was convicted in 2015 by the High Court, for allegedly trafficking in 44.96g of diamorphine.

       He also has another legal challenge pending in court.

       His Singaporean co-accused was spared the death sentence by a special certificate from the AG.

       Meanwhile, Nagaenthran, 34, will be buried in Buntong in Ipoh, Perak at 2pm today, according to his eldest sister Sarmila, 36.