Fighting for a life.

The accompanying article from Klik4Malaysia can be found here.

Since the mainstream media in Singapore is hardly going to present more information about the press conference in KL, much less circulate these videos, it is up to us in the online community (again) to spread the word. So please, please just give 20 minutes of your time to watch these 2 videos, and spread them to everyone you know!

On the 10th of June, M Ravi – the lawyer of Yong Vui Kong – spoke at a press conference at the office of Bar Council Malaysia, together with several Malaysian lawyers. He had gone to Malaysia to draw attention to his client’s case, and to urge all Malaysians, as well as the Malaysian government, to act quickly to save one of their own. He also highlighted the flaw in the clemency process in Singapore, where power that should fall to the President has been effectively seized by the Cabinet; a Cabinet that has already more or less expressed their view on Yong Vui Kong’s case even before he has had an opportunity to file his petition for clemency. A few days before the Court of Appeal handed down their decision on Yong’s appeal, the Law Minister K. Shanmugam, a prominent member of the Cabinet, had already commented on the case, implying that the Singapore government would not be sympathetic towards his petition for clemency. This is a clear tainting of the clemency process, and M Ravi was in Kuala Lumpur to press for the Malaysian government’s involvement, even to the point of taking the case to the International Court of Justice. Malaysian lawyers such as N. Surendran and Latheefa Koya (as seen in the videos) also spoke, lending their support to M Ravi and his client, urging the Malaysian government to save a young and underprivileged citizen from the gallows instead of once again standing by quietly.

I must very honestly say that these lawyers astound me with their strength, their determination and their passion. They aren’t afraid to fight for what they believe in, and they are pressing on despite all sorts of resistance, discouragement and obstacles. Watching them actively campaigning against the mandatory death penalty and for Yong Vui Kong’s life is heartening and inspiring, and encourages me to keep on keeping on even though it sometimes seems like there is very little that I can do. With people like them, it is only a matter of time before change comes, and our society will be the better for it.

To M Ravi, N. Surendran, Latheefa Koya and all the others who were present at the press conference (as well as the many, many human rights activists and lawyers all over the world), thank you for all your efforts and your persistence. Your work does not go unnoticed.