Fighting hard to hold back her tears, the 58-year-old mother of four vowed not to give up hope. He could be executed at any time.
“I am asking everyone to pray for my son as we attempt to save him from the gallows for the last time,” she pleaded, her voice cracking a little, before thanking those who had offered her support.
“Whatever happens, happens.”
Sapenah was speaking to reporters after passing Shahrul, her second child, birthday greeting cards from Malaysians nationwide, including children.
The birthday cards effort was an initiative by Amnesty International Malaysia in conjunction with the 14th World Day Against Death Penalty, which falls on Oct 10 every year.
As part of Amnesty International Malaysia’s campaign against the death penalty, Malaysians can sign an online petition to urge the Selangor Pardons Board to commute Shahrul Izani’s death sentence to life imprisonment.
“This campaign is to call for reform towards death penalty laws. Shahrul’s case is only one of many.
“The public rarely has information on who is being executed and for what crimes. Transparency on the use of capital punishment is important as it is an essential safeguard that not only allows for greater scrutiny to ensure the rights of those facing execution are fully respected, but is also a pre-condition for informed and meaningful debates on the issue,” AI Malaysia Executive Director Shamini Darshni Kaliemuthu said Tuesday.
On Sept 25, 2003, Shahrul was arrested at a roadblock when police found 622 grammes of cannabis wrapped in two newspapers and placed in separate bags.
He was subsequently charged with drug trafficking under Section 39B (1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and sentenced to death on Dec 8, 2009.
For 13 years, Shahrul Izani had maintained he did not know the drugs were stashed in the basket of the motorcycle.
He has already exhausted all his appeals.