IPOH – A procession of 200 family members, friends and neighbours today sent off Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, who was executed by Singaporean authorities at dawn on Wednesday.
Nagaenthran was executed by hanging in Changi Prison, after the Singapore courts rejected numerous attempts to overturn his 2010 conviction for trafficking in 42.72g of heroin into the city-state.
His body was carried in a white hearse in a three-hour procession from his family home in Tg Rambutan to the Buntong crematorium, where his remains were cremated.
It was a sombre affair, with mourners taking turns paying their respects to “Boy”, as Nagaenthran was fondly known, before his body was committed to the fires of the crematorium.
His eldest sister, Sarmila, was inconsolable as she said her final goodbye to her brother whom she had not seen unshackled for 11 years.
His mother, Panchalai Supermaniam, did not attend the cremation. Earlier, when the religious rites were held at their family home, Panchalai appeared weak and on the verge of passing out just as the procession was about to begin.
A relative who asked not to be named said they were informed that Nagaenthran’s ashes will be scattered at the Buntong river on Monday.
Nagaenthran was arrested in 2009 and during his trial was certified as being intellectually disabled with an IQ of 69.
However, the trial judge ruled that he was on the borderline of having a functional intellect and the court concluded that he was aware he was committing a crime.
Nagaenthran’s case caught global attention, with British billionaire Richard Branson and UK comedian and author Stephen Fry urging Singapore to grant clemency.
Yesterday, Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau outlined findings that said Nagaenthran was mentally sound and fully aware of his criminal actions, contrary to public outcry. – The Vibes, April 29, 2022
