MAN MET MUM FOR LAST TIME
Malaysian drug trafficker spent time with mother a day before execution
THE mother of Prabagaran Srivijayan, 29, who was executed at Changi Prison following his conviction for drug trafficking, was allowed time with her son a day before he was sent to the gallows.
Eswary Vengatasamy, 54, attended the court proceedings in an eleventh-hour bid by Prabagaran’s lawyers to seek a stay of execution. She was given some time with Prabagaran at the court lockup. That was the last time they were together before his execution.
“Eswary met her son for the last time at a basement of the court because Prabagaran had a last-minute court case on Thursday. It is usually (done in) prison but on that day, it was (a) unique (situation),” said Damien Chng, co-founder of non-governmental organisation We Believe In Second Chances.
Chng accompanied Eswary to court that day. He joined 20 people, including Prabagaran’s family members and relatives, during a vigil held outside the prison before his execution.
It is learnt that Prabagaran, who is from Skudai, was executed about 6am at Changi Prison yesterday.
His family claimed his body about 10am and brought it to a funeral parlour in Geylang Baru.
His remains were sent for cremation at Mandai Crematorium.
Prabagaran, a petrol station worker, was found guilty by the Singapore High Court in 2014 for trafficking 22.24g of heroin in April 2012.
He was arrested at the Woodlands checkpoint when Singaporean authorities found drugs hidden in the car he was driving.
In Kuala Lumpur, the United Nations Human Rights Office for Southeast Asia condemned Prabagaran’s execution.
“We deeply regret that so far in 2017, there have been at least four executions in Singapore for drug-related offences. According to Singapore prison authorities, there were two executions for drug-related offences in 2014, three in 2015 and two in 2016,” it said in a statement.
The office also expressed concern that death row inmates and families were given short notice of the date of scheduled executions.