Hayat said the execution of drug mules would effectively eliminate potential witnesses to drug operations.

“Executions do not disrupt syndicates, nor do they dismantle the systems that enable them to thrive.

“Instead, they cut off vital sources of intelligence and remove opportunities to pursue those higher in the chain of command,” it said in a statement.

Hayat was responding to the execution of 39-year-old Malaysian K Datchinamurthy this afternoon by Singapore.

Datchinamurthy had been convicted of smuggling 44.96g of diamorphine into the island state.

The group went on to say that the continued reliance on the death penalty jeopardises the collective goal of combating the proliferation of illicit substances within Asean.

These executions, it said, now ensure that Malaysia will no longer have the necessary information and witnesses to pursue action against the transnational drug syndicates that remain in Malaysia, “which shall continue to supply Singapore”.

Hayat said effective policies to suppress and challenge drug trafficking in the region require a balance of harm reduction policies and cooperation between neighbours.

Malaysia and Singapore, it said, were both parties to the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, which empowers relevant authorities to cooperate and investigate transnational drug trafficking.

“Both governments must urgently engage and deliberate on effective, sustainable, and just alternatives to the question of drug trafficking and the death penalty.”