KUALA LUMPUR – The mother of Nagaenthran Dharmalingam, the mentally disabled man who has been sentenced to death in Singapore, has shared poignant memories of caring for him during his childhood and worrying about him as he grew up.
Panchalai Supermaniam recalled that she was always afraid and concerned about him travelling too far due to his condition.
Distressed at the possibility of losing him to the gallows in Changi Prison, she recounted how she had advised her son not to work too far from home.
In a video uploaded on the Facebook account of human rights outfit Suara Rakyat Malaysia, a tearful Panchalai reminisced over memories of raising her son.
Despite her tight work schedule from 6am to 10pm, she tried her best to fulfil her maternal responsibilities and found the time to raise her son right.
“When Nagenthran was small, I worked a lot so it wasn’t easy to take care of him. His grandmother took care of him.
“When he was older, I took care of him. Everything was okay with him. I didn’t get to talk to him much because I had to work. Taking care of kids was difficult for our family,” she said.
“When he was in Form One, Nagaenthran would study where I worked, so I watched over him.
“If he was naughty in school, the teachers would tell me and I would advise him to follow what his teachers would say.”
Panchalai added that he worked in a factory after completing his SPM examination.
However, it was Nagaenthran’s decision to later work in Singapore which worried Panchalai, who was less than happy with the idea of her son going far from home.
Although there were good prospects for earning more money in Singapore, Panchalai advised her son that he could make a living in Malaysia like his other family members.
“I didn’t like him moving too far,” she said. “We told him that he is welcome home if he can’t find work there.”
Panchalai also shared her fears for Nagaenthran and longs to see him safe. “I’m afraid… Please help my son, everyone,” she said.
Meanwhile, Nagaenthran’s sister, who also appeared in the video but was not named, said the last time she saw her brother was during the Deepavali festive season in 2008.
“When he took leave, he was already working in Singapore as a security guard. The last time he came back was in 2008. That was the last time,” she said.
Fast forward 13 years, the family received news just days before Deepavali earlier this month that he was scheduled to be hung on November 10.
In 2009, Nagaenthran was found with 43g of heroin strapped onto his thigh while crossing into Singapore.
During his trial, he said that he was coerced into the act after being assaulted by a man who had also threatened to murder his girlfriend.
It was also discovered that Nagaenthran possessed an IQ of only 69 while suffering from impaired executive functioning and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Despite being diagnosed by Dr Ung Eng Khean, the court made the decision to impose the death penalty.
However, the execution was postponed when it was reported that Nagaenthran had tested positive for Covid-19 on November 9.
He was brought to court that day as a last-bid attempt to halt his execution when the court was informed of the news.
The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) said that he will be given medical attention and the proceedings will resume after he recovers.
Thirty international non-governmental organisations in a joint statement urged the Singaporean government to commute the sentence while calling on United Nations entities, the European Union, and all relevant stakeholders to take prompt action.
British billionaire Sir Richard Branson also weighed in, saying that he joined many others concerned about the “tragic case”. He called on Singapore President Halimah Yacob to use her powers to pardon Nagaenthran and spare his life. – The Vibes, November 29, 2021
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