KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian national Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, 38, was executed in Singapore on today after being convicted for trafficking 51.84 grams of heroin into the country in 2014,
According the NST Online, this was confirmed to his family and a Singapore-based activist, Kirsten Han, a member of the Transformative Justice Collective.
“Yes, he has been hanged,” they were quoted as saying.
Acoording to Bernama, the republic’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) has also confirmed the execution.
“The capital sentence of death imposed on Pannir Selvam A/L Pranthaman was carried out on 8 October 2025,” CNB said in a statement.
CNB said that Pannir Selvam was accorded full due process under the law, and was represented by legal counsel during the trial and appeal.
According to CNB, following the dismissal of his appeal, Pannir was involved in 11 post-appeal applications, seven of which were joint applications with other prisoners awaiting capital punishment.
“All of these applications have been dismissed or resolved,” the agency added.
This marks the second execution of a Malaysian national in Singapore within a span of two weeks, following the hanging of another individual on September 25.
Meanwhile, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) confirmed that their investigation into Pannir’s case has come to a halt due to the absence of new information or evidence. The inquiry, initiated following details from Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and Pannir’s family, originally suggested that he had been manipulated into smuggling the drugs.
In a statement, Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, director of Bukit Aman’s Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID), said that despite efforts, including a visit to Changi Prison on September 27, no new evidence was uncovered to support further investigation.
“NCID had identified a person of interest in 2022 and February 2025, but the investigation found that the information had no operational value and could not link the individual to the case involving Pannir,” Hussein explained.
Pannir was arrested on September 3, 2014, at the Woodlands Checkpoint after authorities discovered 1,833.2 grams of heroin in his possession.
He was subsequently charged under Singapore’s Misuse of Drugs Act 1973 and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Under Singapore’s strict anti-drug laws, anyone found guilty of trafficking over 500 grams of cannabis or 15 grams of heroin faces the mandatory death penalty.
“The prosecution proved the case beyond reasonable doubt, and he was sentenced to death by hanging on May 2, 2017,” Hussein added.
Although the investigation has ended, Hussein stressed that PDRM continues to respect the sovereignty of other countries and their legal processes while remaining committed to upholding justice.
“The PDRM understands the pain felt by families involved in tragic incidents, whether at home or abroad. However, Malaysians must respect the laws of the countries they visit, particularly concerning suspicious activities,” he said.
Hussein also reiterated that the NCID remains dedicated to tackling drug-related offences and urged the public to provide any relevant information through the NCID hotline at 012-208 7222. – October 8, 2025