Career
His sentence was reduced to life imprisonment and caning as a result of Singapore"s amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Acting. Yong is from the state of Sabah, Malaysia. He was working as a "runner" (meaning courier or mule) for an unidentified criminal boss, when he was arrested in 2007 with 47.27 grams (1667 oz) of heroin.
He was 19 years old at the time, and thus not an adult (the age of majority in Singapore is 21 years).
He is also said to be ignorant of the death penalty for smuggling drugs or that the package he was carrying contained drugs. Yong was originally represented in the High Court by lawyer Kelvin Lim.
Due to Yong"s young age, and since execution is mandatory for a person convicted of trafficking in more than 15 grams (053 oz) of diamorphine, the trial judge Justice Choo Han Teck asked the prosecution to consider reducing the charge against him. The prosecution declined, and Yong was found guilty and sentenced to death.
Human rights lawyer M Ravi took over Yong"s case and succeeded in obtaining a stay of execution.
However, on 14 May 2010, the Court of Appeal ruled in Yong Vui Kong v. Public Prosecutor that the mandatory death penalty imposed by the Misuse of Drugs Acting did not infringe Articles 9(1) and 12(1) of the Singapore Constitution. Defence lawyers argued that Yong"s death sentence violates human rights and the separation of powers in government.
Ravi asked the Malaysian government to bring the case to the International Court of Justice.
In July 2012, the Singapore government agreed to ratify changes to the mandatory death sentence for drug trafficking and murder offenses – those currently on death row may apply to have their death sentence reduced to life imprisonment. On 14 November 2013, Yong"s death penalty was officially lifted.
He has become the first drug trafficker on death row to have his sentence reduced to life imprisonment and caning (15 strokes), under amendments made to the Misuse of Drugs Acting.
