Clarification by Minister for Home Affairs
Ministry of Home AffairsSpeakers
Summary
This clarification concerns a factual correction made by Minister for Home Affairs Mr K Shanmugam regarding his previous statement on Singapore’s National Drug Control Policy involving the "Kovan double murder" case. The Minister for Home Affairs Mr K Shanmugam noted that the perpetrator, Iskandar bin Rahmat, was sentenced to death in 2015 for the brutal killing of a father and son. While the case was cited to illustrate the high frequency of legal challenges filed by prisoners awaiting capital punishment, the original record incorrectly stated the total number of post-appeal filings. The Minister for Home Affairs Mr K Shanmugam formally corrected the record to state that the individual has filed eight applications rather than nine. No further comments were made regarding the specific applications that are still currently pending before the Courts.
Transcript
The following statement was made by Minister for Home Affairs Mr K Shanmugam during the Ministerial Statement on Singapore’s National Drug Control Policy, during the Sitting of 8 May 2024:
The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr K Shanmugam): One such PACP is Iskandar bin Rahmat. He is not a drug trafficker, but his applications are somewhat illustrative of the point I am making. He killed a father and son – brutal murders. I think people remember them as the “Kovan double murder case” – a 67-year-old father and a 42-year-old son. In fact, one of the victims was even dragged almost one kilometre along Upper Serangoon Road. And he did it for money. He was sentenced to capital punishment on 4 December 2015 by the High Court. His appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in February 2017, seven years ago. Since then, he has filed nine applications. Some of them are still ongoing and I make no comment whatsoever about those which are currently before the Courts. [Please refer to "Singapore's National Drug Control Policy", Official Report, 08 May 2024, Vol 95, Issue 136, Ministerial Statements section.]
Written statement by Mr K Shanmugam circulated with leave of the Speaker in accordance with Standing Order No 29(5):
I wish to make the following factual correction to the Ministerial Statement on Singapore’s National Drug Control Policy at the Sitting of 8 May 2024. My statement should read as follows:
The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr K Shanmugam): One such PACP is Iskandar bin Rahmat. He is not a drug trafficker, but his applications are somewhat illustrative of the point I am making. He killed a father and son – brutal murders. I think people remember them as the “Kovan double murder case” – a 67-year-old father and a 42-year-old son. In fact, one of the victims was even dragged almost one kilometre along Upper Serangoon Road. And he did it for money. He was sentenced to capital punishment on 4 December 2015 by the High Court. His appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in February 2017, seven years ago. Since then, he has filed eight applications. Some of them are still ongoing and I make no comment whatsoever about those which are currently before the Courts.