SINGAPORE: The Singapore Court of Appeal has reserved a judgement on Malaysian Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, who is on death row for bringing in 42.72g (1.5 ounces) of heroin into the republic in 2019.

       His case was heard on Tuesday (March 1) by a five-judge panel comprising Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Andrew Phang, Judith Prakash, Belinda Ang and Chao Hick Tin.

       “We will reserve judgement and come back to you soon,” said Menon.

       Nagaenthran is being represented by Violet Netto, who took over the case from lawyer M. Ravi.

       Among others, he is appealing against a High Court decision denying him permission to start judicial review proceedings to challenge his execution.

       His lawyers claim that he is intellectually disabled. He was sentenced to death by the High Court on Nov 22, 2010.

       The process of appeal went through to the final stage, and his application for presidential clemency was rejected on June 1, 2020.

       Nagaenthran’s case had drawn international attention and on Nov 7, it was reported that Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had written to his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong seeking leniency in this case.

       On Dec 3, Singapore President Halimah Yacob accorded Nagaenthran with full due process under the law. – Bernama