Court of Appeal reserves judgement on Yong’s appeal

Court of Appeal reserves judgement on Yong’s appeal

March 15, 2010, 10:54 pm
Filed under: By Rachel Zeng

As I was unable to attend the hearing of Yong Vui Kong at the Court of Appeal today due to work, I had to rely on updates by Seelan and Jacob.

The morning was really tense for me and there was a strange mix of emotions deep in my heart. Anything could happen and I was trying to gear myself up for both good and bad news. I was really nervous and deeply wishing that I could be there to show my support and to hear the arguments from both M Ravi and Attorney General Walter Woon.

I was told that the argument of ‘East vs. West’ and ‘Asian values’ was brought up by the Attorney General during his submission and I couldn’t help myself but wonder why this lame argument keeps being brought up by the governmentally linked personnels. I don’t understand such terms of argument, especially when it is being brought up by people who dress themselves in Western style garments and speak the language of the West. Why is it that while the government seems to embrace almost all things ‘Western’, they choose to bring up ‘Asian values’ and ‘Eastern style’ whatever at selected points of time to get people to their side of the argument? This to me, is hypocrisy at its most pathetic.

Well anyway, I wish I could have been there to witness the whole submission to write more about it but I wasn’t. It was a pity, because I could have learned so much more.

The hearing ended a little before 1pm without any judgement passed. The judges decided to delay the passing of judgement and thanked M Ravi for updating them on the current international practice with regards to the death penalty.

Although I feel a wee bit hopeful about it, I dare not expect too much for a positive ending. It is always tricky and as we have seen in the past, most of the appeals have failed so far. However, I do hope that the humanity and logic existing within the judges will help them see that this young boy does deserve another chance to make up for his grave mistake – something that he did not realised until he was told after his arrest that heroin was not as ‘harmless’ as tobacco.

Please, do give him another chance.

Read also:

M Ravi: Death penalty should not be dispensed ‘in an automated, robotic, spasmodic approach’

Judges reserved judgement in Yong’s mandatory death penalty appeal

Discretion to the judges – judgement reserved

Singapore’s Court of Appeal reserves judgement in Yong Vui Kong’s appeal hearing

Debate over drug mule Yong’s death penalty

Drug trafficker’s fate unsure

“For me, I am hoping for a miracle.”

The story of a boy

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