Bar urges intervention to halt impending execution of Pannir Selvam

On 4 October, it was reported that Malaysian national Pannir Selvam Pranthaman has been scheduled to be executed in Singapore on Wednesday morning, 8 October.  

Pannir Selvam is a hard-working young man from Ipoh who worked multiple shifts as a security guard in Singapore to sustain himself and help his family. He placed his trust in the wrong individual and was persuaded to transport what was thought to be medicine, unaware of the nature of what he was carrying.

He was eventually convicted of importing 51.8g of diamorphine into Singapore.

His sister, Angelia Pranthaman, told the press that prison authorities had informed her that the notice of execution had been issued to the family.

The Malaysian Bar is, and always has been, opposed to the death penalty and reiterates that capital punishment violates the fundamental right to life, and there is no conclusive evidence that capital punishment leads to a reduction in drug abuse or trafficking.

In the case of Pannir Selvam, concerns have been raised that his imminent execution would have a grave impact on ongoing law enforcement efforts.

Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh, also the former deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for law and institutional reform, informed the public that Pannir Selvam has been actively assisting the police in its investigations into a cross-border drug trafficking network.

These investigations, initiated on the basis of police reports filed between 2018 and 2025, concern information on individuals believed to be involved in supplying the narcotics to Pannir Selvam and persuading him to transport the same into Singapore.

Further, it was revealed that on 27 September, the Malaysian police were granted access to interview Pannir Selvam at Changi Prison. The interview lasted for about three hours, during which time, Pannir Selvam provided crucial information on a cross-border drug syndicate.

Ramkarpal noted that the investigations remain ongoing, and that Pannir Selvam may serve as a material witness in any prosecutions that follow as a result of the investigations.

This imminent execution is a troubling development and must be viewed in the wider context of international human rights obligations.

International human rights law restricts the death penalty to only the “most serious crimes”, a threshold that does not encompass drug-related offences – more so in the present case, wherein Pannir Selvam was a drug mule.

In respect of this matter, the imposition of a mandatory death sentence also strips the judge of any discretion to consider mitigating factors, including Pannir Selvam’s role as a mere courier.

While the court in Pannir Selvam’s case acknowledged his limited involvement, the prosecution declined to issue a certificate of substantive assistance.

The Malaysian Bar is further guided by the jurisprudence of eminent jurists on the philosophy of sentencing. Justice VR Krishna Iyer of the Indian Supreme Court, in Mohammad Giasuddin v State of Andhra Pradesh (1977), famously declared:

Crime is a pathological aberration. The criminal can ordinarily be redeemed and the state has to rehabilitate rather than avenge… Therefore, the focus of interest in penology is the individual and the goal is salvaging him for society. The infliction of harsh and savage punishment is thus a relic of past and regressive times. The modern community, with its concern for human rights, frowns upon the deterrence and retributive elements in punishment. Sentencing should focus on reformation, so that the offender repents and returns to society as a responsible citizen.We are reminded of Pannir Selvam’s own words as a poet and advocate from behind prison walls: “… not death in death row, but mercy and forgiveness…”

His plea reflects a higher call to justice, one that recognises the futility of the death penalty as a deterrent, and instead embraces the values of compassion, redemption and human dignity.

Importantly, Pannir Selvam has extended his cooperation to Malaysian law enforcement, assisting in ongoing investigations into a cross-border drug syndicate.

To halt his execution and commute his sentence would not only affirm the strength of mercy but also uphold the cause of justice by ensuring that those truly responsible are brought to account.

In doing so, the Singapore government would demonstrate that true justice is measured not by severity, but by humanity, fairness and the courage to choose compassion over finality.

In view of Pannir Selvam’s imminent execution, the Malaysian Bar urges and appeals for the following:

Anand Raj is a vice-president of the Malaysian Bar.