[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/national-day-the-fight-to-save-her-brothers-life\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/national-day-the-fight-to-save-her-brothers-life\/","headline":"National Day: The fight to save her brother\u2019s life","name":"National Day: The fight to save her brother\u2019s life","description":"Myza\u2019s (not her real name) nightmare first began in early August, 2015. On an ill-fated day, she found herself unable to get in touch with her eldest brother despite having called him multiple times, to no avail. This was her first inkling that something was amiss.\u00a0 Unsettled, she continued with her day until she came […]","datePublished":"2021-08-13","dateModified":"2022-04-16","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/Ming%20En%20Liew\/#Person","name":"Ming En Liew","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/Ming%20En%20Liew\/","identifier":132,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8fe7a89455a989038349633329a6e4ad6299388f5e1e3ea83c28126090b2314f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8fe7a89455a989038349633329a6e4ad6299388f5e1e3ea83c28126090b2314f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1628824057511_1280X626_286129.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1628824057511_1280X626_286129.jpg","height":626,"width":1280},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/national-day-the-fight-to-save-her-brothers-life\/","about":["Community","Local","Singapore"],"wordCount":1478,"articleBody":"Myza\u2019s (not her real name) nightmare first began in early August, 2015.On an ill-fated day, she found herself unable to get in touch with her eldest brother despite having called him multiple times, to no avail. This was her first inkling that something was amiss.\u00a0Unsettled, she continued with her day until she came across an article on Facebook revealing that a number of individuals had been arrested for drug-related offences at a familiar location. With a sinking feeling in her gut, she called her brother\u2019s wife, who confirmed her suspicions \u2013 her brother had been arrested.\u00a0Myza was at a loss. While her brother was a former drug offender, he had been on the straight and narrow for more than a decade.\u00a0\u201cHe seemed happy, and didn\u2019t show any signs of relapse,\u201d she shares.But the worst was yet to come, for this arrest was unlike his previous ones. While he had been arrested for drug consumption charges before, and was sent to the Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) as a result, this incident will prove to be much more severe.\u00a0As per the Misuse of Drugs Act in Singapore, the death penalty is given if the amount of pure heroin (also known as diamorphine) trafficked exceeds 15 grams. Her brother had been in possession of far more than that \u2013 over 40 grams. The knowledge of this was a punch in Myza\u2019s gut, for barring any extenuating circumstances, it was certain death.\u00a0As per the Misuse of Drugs Act in Singapore, the death penalty is given if the amount of pure heroin trafficked exceeds 15 grams. Myza’s brother had been in possession of over 40 grams. (Photo source: Canva)And indeed, her worst fears would come true just a few months later. She was away on a holiday when she received a call from the lawyer. Her brother was to appear in court at 10am the next day to receive his sentence.\u00a0Immediately, she made the six-hour drive back from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, only arriving home past midnight. That morning, she and her family made their way to the High Court. The short time spent within is etched deeply into her memory.\u00a0\u201cThere were no [debates] between the lawyer and the DPP [Deputy Public Prosecutor], not like what you see in the movies,\u201d she recounts. \u201cI still remember vividly how the situation was at that point of time… It was very quiet.\u201d\u00a0She continues, \u201cWe were asked to stand, and that\u2019s when the judge passed the sentence: Death penalty.\u201d\u201c[I remember thinking,] \u2018He\u2019s going to die? He will die\u2019,\u201d she relates. \u201cI told myself, if I break, everyone will break as well, [even my brother]. He may look tough, but as human beings, you still expect miracles to happen.\u201d\u00a0\u201cHis friends were also there. Everyone cried\u2026 After the judge walked away, we were given the opportunity to go to him and touch him. That was when he apologised that we had to face this,\u201d she shares.\u00a0The initial months of emotional turmoil have since stretched into years, as she continues the bitter struggle to navigate Singapore\u2019s legal labyrinth in the hopes of finding a way to save her brother. After a failed appeal years back and a rejected Presidential Clemency from April this year, Myza\u2019s faith is wavering.\u00a0\u201cI\u2019ve Googled, I\u2019ve read, I\u2019ve spent my time reading up on other death penalty [cases]. Every time I visit my brother, I will share with him [what I have learned],\u201d she says. \u201cBut at a certain point, I began to believe that everyone has a different fate. No matter how much you read or research, it\u2019s all fated.\u201d\u00a0But Myza is determined to press on: \u201cI\u2019m not going to surrender, even until now.\u201d\u00a0Their family is now on their fifth lawyer, and their last shreds of hope.\u00a0A turning point in her love for SingaporeDespite the struggles Myza has faced with the judicial system, her answer when TheHomeGround asked what it meant to be Singaporean came readily: \u201cI love being a Singaporean. I always tell everyone, if given the opportunity…that I want to retire in Singapore.\u201d\u00a0\u201cI love the country because I love where I am right now, the country that I was born in,\u201d she elaborates. \u201cPeople I know who are not born in Singapore always have a good impression of [us].\u201d\u00a0Reasons for why she loves the country are aplenty; she lauds the achievements of the nation, citing its prosperity, safety, education system, and healthcare as points of pride.\u00a0Singapore’s prosperity, safety, education system, and healthcare has always been a source of pride for Myza. (Photo source: Canva)It is no surprise then that National Day has always been a day of pride and celebration for her: \u201cIt\u2019s something that most Singaporeans look forward to because there are lots of colourful activities happening. Compared to other countries, I think Singapore has the most perfect kind of celebrations.\u201d\u00a0Throughout Myza\u2019s life, her father had also been actively involved in voluntary work in grassroots organisations such as local community clubs (CCs), and introduced his children to such activities as well.\u00a0\u201cThis is [another] good thing about Singapore, that we have these CCs which hold events that help the fortunate and less fortunate,\u201d she says.\u00a0She adds, \u201cMy dad is still doing the same now, despite my brother being behind bars. We put that in our petition, and hoped that if we included his certificates indicating his dedication to community work, it could help them have a bit of empathy and save my brother.\u201dBut this was not enough to save her brother from the gallows, much to her disappointment.\u00a0These recent events have dampened her pride, and caused her to look at the nation through renewed lenses.\u201cI don\u2019t doubt [Singapore\u2019s goodness], but\u2026there\u2019s much more to that,\u201d she says. \u201cNot everything is as perfect as it seems.\u201d\u00a0While Myza had never paid much heed to Singapore\u2019s legal system prior to her family\u2019s struggle with it, she has since started to question the necessity of the death penalty.Despite celebrating many facets of Singapore’s success, Myza admits that the island city is not perfect, specifically expressing concerns about the legal system. (Photo source: Canva)She explains, \u201cWay back before I knew my brother was going to be one of them [an inmate on death row], I never [supported the death penalty]. After my brother was caught, it relates to me even more.\u201d\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s sad to see other family members grieving when the execution is done on their beloved, so I feel for them. But I didn\u2019t realise it\u2019s going to happen to me,\u201d she rues.\u00a0She questions: \u201cMany countries have wanted to abolish the death penalty, but Singapore still has not\u2026 Our currency, safety, and public transport are all better than other countries, but what about the law? Everything should be level.\u201dClinging on to a hope for change and second chancesIt is with this in mind that Myza hopes for an eventual change in how Singapore deals with drug offenders in the future, such as increased transparency of the judicial system.\u00a0She shares the example of the Certificate of Cooperation, a document issued by the Public Prosecutor, indicating that an individual has provided \u201csubstantive assistance\u201d to the Central Narcotics Bureau, and will thus be considered for an exemption from the mandatory death penalty. According to Myza, her brother has been issued the Certificate, but his sentence remains, with no news on whether the Certificate has any bearing on his fate.She adds that little information is available to the families of inmates on death row, including when or how the order of execution is determined. Since her brother had been rejected for Presidential Clemency in April this year, there has been radio silence on if, or when, he may be executed.\u201cWe got a new lawyer, and now, we are still waiting,\u201d she explains.\u00a0Myza hopes for greater transparency in Singapore’s judicial system, and for the abolishment of the death penalty. (Photo source: Canva)Beyond transparency in the judicial system, Myza ultimately calls for an abolishment of the death penalty altogether.\u00a0\u201cSomething needs to be done \u2013 rehabilitation. They are actually drug addicts [as well], but you blame them for trafficking by putting figures to it; anything above 15 grams, you will receive the death penalty.\u201d\u201cIf you can give the drug addicts [the chance] to go for rehabilitation, why don\u2019t you give it to those who traffic as well? Is there a need for a death sentence?,\u201d she questions. \u201cWhy can’t you actually help them out?\u201d\u00a0\u201cEverybody should be given a second chance to live.\u201dJoin the conversations on TheHomeGround Asia’s Facebook and Instagram, and get the latest updates via Telegram."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Destinations","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Singapore","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/\/singapore\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"National Day: The fight to save her brother\u2019s life","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/national-day-the-fight-to-save-her-brothers-life\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]