The Malaysians created so much din to appeal for Yong Vui Kong but they have 300 Indonesian on death row in Malaysia. Are they going to agree to Indonesian government's appeal? If not, why the fuck do they make so much noise here?:oIo:
Minister told to save those in Malaysia death row
Hans David Tampubolon, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 08/24/2010 8:55 AM
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa to take action to defend and protect hundreds of Indonesians facing death sentences in Malaysia.
Yudhoyono said the government had tried its best to provide legal assistance and advocacy to Indonesians living abroad.
“I personally have been taking care of this matter to ensure fairness. During bilateral meetings [between Indonesia and Malaysia], the Malaysian authorities updated me on each of the legal cases and the best solutions that could fulfill Indonesia’s expectation,” Yudhoyono told a plenary Cabinet meeting as quoted by kompas.com on Monday.
During the meeting, Yudhoyono instructed Marty to update the number of Indonesians on death row in the neighboring country.
A report from non-governmental organization Sabang-Merauke Circle, says 345 Indonesian migrant workers are facing the death sentence in Malaysia.
Three NGOs, the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, Migrant Care and NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (Infid), have also pressed Yudhoyono to ensure human rights for the Indonesian citizens.
Yudhoyono stressed that regardless of efforts to protect Indonesians from the death penalty, the country had to respect the legal system and policies in place in Malaysia.
Separately, House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie from Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party said that in the midst of the diplomatic effort to save Indonesians from the death penalty there, the country had to respect the Malaysian legal system and refrain from interfering.
“If their legal system stipulates the death penalty, can we interfere? Please respect other country’s legal systems,” Marzuki told reporters Monday.
Marzuki urged Indonesia to look at the basis used by the Malaysian authorities in seeking capital punishment.
“Some are involved in drug trafficking. They know that drug trafficking is punishable by the death penalty [in Malaysia], so, they should not have attempted to bring drugs in the first place,” he said.
One of Marzuki’s deputies, Pramono Anung from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), says that whatever case the Indonesians abroad are involved in, the government should have taken more initiative to protect them, but so far such a commitment was not visible.
“The foreign minister should have been more active in giving assistance knowing his fellow countrymen are in trouble abroad,” he said.
Pramono also urged the Foreign Ministry to officially issue a diplomatic note to the Malaysian government to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
Another deputy speaker, Golkar Party’s Priyo Budi Santoso, said the government had to show commitment to saving the lives of Indonesians abroad for the sake of national pride and dignity.
“I am warning the government to save every single ounce of dignity that we still have,” Priyo said.
He said the government’s commitment toward the safety of its own people abroad had been disappointing. “Let’s take the US as a comparison. The US government will utilize its highest authority to save even one life of its countrymen,” he said.
“So, the government must not be slow in dealing with this matter,” he added.
Senators pledge to save Malaysian on death row in Singapore
Submitted by Najiah on Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
COLLECTIVE EFFORT: (from left) Ngeow, Syed Husin and Tunku Abdul Aziz are urging fellow Malaysians to pledge their support — Pic: RAZAK GHAZALI
KUALA LUMPUR: Yong Vui Kong, the 22-year-old Malaysian who is facing the gallows in Singapore for drug trafficking, has received more support from his countrymen today – with Dewan Negara senators backing a campaign to plead for Yong’s clemency from Singapore President Sellapan Ramanathan.
At a Press conference in Parliament lobby this morning, Opposition senators Syed Husin Ali and Datuk Mustafa Kamal Mohd Yusoff of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), as well as Democratic Action Party's Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim and S. Ramakrishnan, urged the public to support the newly-launched 'Save Vui Kong Campaign' (SVKC).
SVKC is a petition campaign seeking to gain as many signatures as possible from Malaysia’s elected representatives and the general public by Aug 23, as Aug 26 would be the final day for Yong to petition for clemency.
“Ever since young Vui Kong was convicted four years ago, he has repented and radically transformed to be a good person. It will be a tragedy for Vui Kong if he had to be hanged for a mistake he had made,” said Syed Husin, who is also PKR deputy president.
“We want him to be given another chance to contribute to society. We urge Singapore to provide clemency for Vui Kong,” he added.
Earlier this month, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Amah had said the government will do everything its power to lobby for Vui Kong's clemency.
“If I save one life, it will give me great satisfaction,” the minister had said.
Also present at the news conference was Ngeow Chow Ying, the coordinator for SVKC. She said plea cards will be given to all 222 Dewan Rakyat members, 69 sitting senators and 60 Sabah state assemblymen for it to be signed.
Ngeow, who is from the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Civil Rights Committee, added that members of the public can endorse the petition by going to www.petitiononline.com/SaveVK/petition.html.
An 18-year-old Yong was arrested by Singapore police on June 13, 2007 at Orchard Road. He was charged for trafficking 47 grammes of diamorphine into the island republic, which the only sentence for it is the death penalty.
He was sentenced last November and was to be hanged the following month, but his lawyer M. Ravi successfully sought a stay of execution from the High Court there.
Yong's appeal against the death penalty was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in May, and his fate now solely lies in the hands of the Singapore president.
