Patrick Lee
Free Malaysia Today
Support is pouring in for Yong Vui Kong, who is scheduled to be hanged in Singapore for a drug trafficking charge.
As of yesterday, a petition calling on the republic to spare the 22-year-old Sabahan from capital punishment, was inked by 96,622 people.
Yong’s final appeal for clemency is scheduled to be heard on Thursday.
Organized by the Save Vui Kong Campaign (SKVC), the petition saw 40,138 Sabahans lending their support. Another 25,112 came from West Malaysia while 2,200 Singaporeans had also backed the clemency plea. The remaining 29,172 were online signatures.
The petition was also inked by 44 Malaysian MPs and 15 senators. They included the likes of Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali and DAP supremo Karpal Singh.
“We believe (that) granting Yong (his) clemency is in line with Singapore’s interests,” said SKVC coordinator Ngeow Chow Ying, adding that Yong was a changed man now.
“He has repented, and written a lot of letters to his friends and families discouraging them from getting involved in drugs. He is doing the same in prison with the other inmates. Yong could serve as a good living example and deter other youths from making the same mistake.
“If the Singaporean government allows him to live and spread the message, it would create an impact on other youths,” she told FMT.
Accompanied by Yong’s family and lawyer, SKVC would hand the signatures over to Singaporean President SR Nathan at his official residence tomorrow morning.
Yong, who came from a broken home, was sentenced to death in January last year for trafficking in 47 grammes of diamorphine, a derivative of heroin. He was 18 when arrested.
Under normal circumstances, the president would take three months to reach a decision. If the plea is rejected, the execution would then be carried out in a matter of weeks.
“We will continue to collect signatures until the president makes a decision,” said Ngeow.