KUALA LUMPUR – The highly publicised ordeal of Malaysian Pausi Jefridin, who has been sentenced to death by the courts in Singapore for drug trafficking, is yet another case that brings to light how mentally challenged individuals are manipulated by crime lords looking for easy prey.
According to psychiatrist Dr G.S. Gurwal, the reason intellectually challenged people like Pausi are often targeted is their suggestible nature, as they are easily influenced by those with malicious intent.
He said that those with a low IQ, such as Pausi who has been confirmed by an expert to have an IQ level of 67, normally have difficulty comprehending what is going on around them and lack foresight.
“It must be kept in mind that while they did carry out criminal acts, they might not have done so with the intention to harm as they would have played little to no part in the planning stages of the acts they are charged with.
“There is always a possibility that they were manipulated and coerced into executing crimes without being aware of what exactly they were doing,” he said to The Vibes.
On February 17, Pausi and Singaporean Roslan Bakar, who were supposed to be separately executed the day before, were granted a respite by the republic’s president, Halimah Yacob.
Both have been on death row for drug trafficking since 2010.
The high court granted an eleventh-hour interim stay of execution, pending the filing of an appeal. The appellate court, however, dismissed the appeal.
Their situations have elicited considerable publicity. During Pausi’s trial, a medical expert had informed the court that he had an IQ level of 67, below the threshold of 70 to declare a person as intellectually disabled.
Roslan, meanwhile, was found by experts to have “limited capacity for judgment and decision-making due to underlying cognitive defects”.
Dr Gurwal stressed that while it is difficult to gauge Pausi’s psychological response to the ordeal without meeting him in person, it is likely that the experience is taking a toll on him.
“He might appear nonchalant as he is confused and unable to fully grasp how drastic the situation is, or he could also be in extreme distress.
“Nonetheless, the entire experience is sure to be highly traumatic to not only him, but his family members as well as they are being put through an unnecessary amount of anxiety and despair, besides being at a risk of developing mental conditions themselves if the situation persists,” he said.
Meanwhile, Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network executive co-ordinator Dobby Chew said that in line with our understanding of murder as being morally wrong, states should not be able to do the same under the guise of justice.
“There is a lot of injustice that follows Pausi’s case and others in a similar situation as some of these individuals may not have the capacity to appreciate the severity of their actions or the harm it inflicts upon others,” Chew claimed.
“Their mental conditions have a clear impact on how they live their lives and how they were involved or associated with criminal activities.
“As such, why shouldn’t their condition be given due consideration during the investigation, trial and sentencing?” he questioned.
Rights groups have sought the Singapore government to consider granting clemency to Pausi, in light of the confirmation by an expert on his low IQ. – The Vibes, February 21, 2022
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