Give Life a Second Chance

"We cannot turn a blind eye to some events. They may not be the hottest topics nor the attention to everyone, but they must be seen!"

I happened to watch NTV7's "7 Zoom In" last Saturday. This program reports and analyses many issues closely related to daily life and covers both domestic and overseas real life events. The episode on Saturday was about two Malaysian youth who got caught and locked up in Singapore Changi Prison since a few years ago and they are now still in the prison waiting for their turn for execution that could happen anytime. One of them just turned 19-year old when he was caught.

They were charged of drug possession when they entered Singapore a few years ago and the authority used the drugs found in the luggage they carried as evidence to charge them without further investigation. Despite the efforts getting petition letters signed from public and numerous appeals from the two families to the court but their efforts are in vain. They now have only one hope, that is to get the amnesty from the President of Singapore just in time before their execution.

Their family members believe that the youths were exploited to smuggle drugs into the country without knowing the content in the luggage. They were at their vulnerable age, easily persuaded to carry out illegal activities which they were not aware of the serious consequence should they get caught. They were tempted to take risks for the substantial rewards if they carried out the duties successfully but unfortunately fate did not take their sides.

The masterminds are still free and would go unpunished while more innocent youths would be sentenced to death should they go astray and fall in the hands of the masterminds. The vicious cycle would keep repeating itself as long as the masterminds are not caught and punished. The saddest thing is death sentence does not project in the decrease of drug trafficking activities but otherwise. Does this punishment really work? It does not give the innocent lives a second chance to repent but only serves as warning to others which apparently it does not work! It's definitely against the humanistic value of the dignity and sanctity of life.

I could only pray that these innocent youths would be given a second chance to live and turn over a new leaf. I also urge youth to have strong life philosophy so that you would not go astray and get exploited by the unscrupulous "businessmen". Please think twice before you want to do something silly for fast cash as the law is merciless!