A Malaysian national is set to be executed by hanging in Singapore on Thursday (25 Sep 2025), following a conviction for heroin trafficking.
The impending execution has sparked renewed calls from international activists to suspend Singapore’s use of capital punishment for drug offences.
Details of the Case
Datchinamurthy Kataiah, 39, was detained in 2011 and convicted of trafficking approximately 45 grams of heroin into Singapore.
Under Singapore law, trafficking over fifteen grams of heroin or 500 grams of cannabis carries a mandatory death sentence.
Kataiah was originally scheduled to be hanged in 2022, but a last-minute legal challenge delayed the sentence. In August 2025, Singapore’s courts rejected his final appeal, clearing the way for his execution this week.
Notification and Execution Date
Authorities informed Kataiah’s family on 21 September 2025 that the hanging would occur on Thursday at Changi Prison.
This makes Kataiah the third Malaysian and the eleventh prisoner to be hanged in Singapore since January.
Advocacy group Transformative Collective Justice stated that Kataiah’s case had become a focal point for demands to halt capital punishment.
During a joint media conference, campaigners from Amnesty International and the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network presented a letter from Kataiah’s sister, Rani.
She wrote that her brother does not dispute his conviction, but contends the death penalty is “excessive and severe for a young man’s naive actions”.
Debate on Singapore’s Drug Laws
Anti-death penalty activists argue Singapore’s drug laws disproportionately affect lower-level traffickers and couriers.
The United Nations and other rights bodies have urged Singapore to apply the death penalty only for the “most serious crimes”, such as intentional murder, and not for drug trafficking.
They express concern that mandatory sentencing prevents courts from considering personal circumstances or mitigating factors in individual cases.
Calls for Intervention
Calls to halt executions have continued through regional and international bodies. The Malaysian government has been urged by SUHAKAM, Malaysia’s human rights commission, to intervene in the case.
Singapore maintains that the death penalty is necessary to deter drug offences and safeguard public safety. No further statements have been released by authorities regarding Kataiah’s forthcoming execution.
Activists plan to hold a solidarity rally at Hong Lim Park on 29 September 2025.
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