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SINGAPORE: Online news outlet MalaysiaNow was issued a Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) correction direction by the Singapore government on Saturday (Nov 15).<\/p>\n
The correction order relates to an article published by MalaysiaNow on Nov 9 that contains false statements concerning the treatment of convicted drug courier Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a press release.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government takes a serious view of the deliberate communication of falsehoods,\u201d said the ministry, adding that MalaysiaNow will be required to carry correction notices alongside the article on its website, Facebook, X and LinkedIn posts.<\/p>\n
MHA said the MalaysiaNow article made several false statements, including that Pannir\u2019s execution was carried out without regard for the rule of law and that the government\u2019s decision not to issue a certificate of substantive assistance to Pannir was unlawful.<\/p>\n
The article also claimed the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) secretly facilitated an interview of Pannir by the Malaysian police and that at the interview, a CNB officer wore a Malaysia police (PDRM) uniform and deliberately hid his identity as a CNB officer.<\/p>\n
The article additionally falsely stated that the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) officers attempted to mislead Pannir\u2019s family into signing a form stating that all of Pannir\u2019s belongings had been handed over to them.<\/p>\n
MHA said an execution will only be scheduled when a prisoner awaiting capital punishment has exhausted all legal processes in relation to his conviction and sentence, and after the issue of clemency has been dealt with.<\/p>\n
This is the case for all such prisoners, including Pannir, it added.<\/p>\n
The ministry also laid out the facts of the case:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is therefore false and misleading to suggest that the execution of Pannir on Oct 8, 2025 was carried out without regard for the rule of law,\u201d said MHA.<\/p>\n
\u201cPannir was accorded full due process under the law, and was scheduled for execution after he had exhausted all legal processes (including the clemency process) in relation to his conviction and sentence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under the law, a person facing a capital charge of drug trafficking or importation may be sentenced to life imprisonment instead of the death penalty.<\/p>\n
This is provided that the following requirements are met: His involvement is limited to that of being a courier as defined in section 33B(2)(a) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1973, and the Public Prosecutor has issued a certificate of substantive assistance to certify to the court that, in his or her determination, the person has substantively assisted CNB in disrupting drug trafficking activities within or outside Singapore.<\/p>\n
Under section 33B(4) of the Misuse of Drugs Act, MHA said the determination of whether any person has substantively assisted CNB in disrupting drug trafficking activities is at the sole discretion of the Public Prosecutor.<\/p>\n
MHA said Pannir was not issued a certificate of substantive assistance as the Public Prosecutor determined that he had not provided substantive assistance to CNB, adding that Pannir\u2019s legal challenge against the Public Prosecutor\u2019s decision not to issue a certificate of substantive assistance was also dismissed by the Court of Appeal on Nov 26, 2021.<\/p>\n
\u201cContrary to what is stated, Pannir did not provide information that led to the arrest of Zamri Tahir. CNB arrested Zamri Tahir based on information that it already had,\u201d said the ministry.<\/p>\n
Pannir\u2019s lawyers had previously argued that Pannir gave information to the CNB that led to Zamri\u2019s arrest, which they called an \u201cexample par excellence\u201d of substantive assistance.<\/p>\n
CNB facilitated an interview between the Malaysian Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) and Pannir on Sep 27 this year, pursuant to a formal request by NCID. MHA said CNB works closely with its overseas counterparts and will facilitate requests, where possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe interview process was open and aboveboard \u2013 SPS had notified Pannir of the interview request. Pannir did not object to being interviewed, nor did he request for his lawyer to be present. Pannir was also not prohibited from consulting his family or his counsel,\u201d said MHA.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe NCID officers interviewed Pannir in the presence of a CNB officer, who was not wearing a Malaysian police uniform or posing as a Malaysian police officer. Thus, contrary to what is alleged, Pannir\u2019s counsel was not \u2018excluded\u2019, and the officers\u2019 identities were not concealed.\u201d<\/p>\n
MHA also noted that prior to his execution, Pannir requested to hand over his handwritten letters and poems to his family.<\/p>\n
SPS reviewed these items and assessed that the content of a few pages affected the security or good order of the prison. These pages were therefore withheld by SPS, as permitted under the law.<\/p>\n
After Pannir\u2019s execution, MHA said SPS officers met with Pannir\u2019s family to hand over Pannir\u2019s belongings and requested they sign a form acknowledging that the items indicated on the form were returned to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cPannir\u2019s family then claimed that some pages of Pannir\u2019s documents were missing. The officers informed them that the documents were screened in accordance with SPS\u2019s screening guidelines and that pages which did not meet the guidelines were withheld. Eventually, Pannir\u2019s family took over Pannir\u2019s belongings without signing the form,\u201d said MHA.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt no point did SPS attempt to mislead Pannir\u2019s family into signing a form stating that all of his belongings were returned to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
More information can be found on government fact-checking website Factually.
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