As COVID-19 happens, many things have changed. For example, we could see that people are starting to work remotely or go for online shopping. Do you know that there is a recent case where a 37-year-old Malaysian criminal has been sentenced to death remotely via a Zoom call for his role in a heroin transaction in the year 2011?
Photo Sources: Malay Mail
It is the first capital punishment that has been performed remotely in Singapore. According to a spokesperson for Singapore’s Supreme Court, the hearing for Public Prosecutor v Punithan A/L Genasan (Malaysian criminal) was administered by video-conferencing in order to reduce the spread of the virus.
On the other hand, Genasan’s lawyer, Peter Fernando, stated that his client is contemplating an appeal. Fernando added that he did not oppose the use of video-conferencing because it was only to receive the decision of the judge without any other legal arguments.
Photo Sources: Daily Express
Many court hearings in Singapore have been postponed during the implementation of Circuit Breaker while crucial cases have been continued remotely. Singapore has a zero-tolerance policy for illegal drugs and has hanged hundreds of people, including foreigners. Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia division has criticized the delivery of death sentence via Zoom in both Singapore and Nigeria.
Sources: Malay Mail
Cover Photo: Malay Mail | Daily Express
