Child killer to hang after clemency plea rejected

From The Star

SINGAPORE: Convicted Malaysian child killer Took Leng How will go to the gallows after his final plea for clemency was rejected by the president.

Took, 24, a Penangite who worked here as a vegetable packer, was convicted of killing eight-year-old Chinese national Huang Na in October 2004 at the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre.

He was sentenced to hang in August last year.

Took filed an appeal shortly after but in January this year, the Court of Appeal upheld the death sentence in a split two-one decision, prompting his family to start a campaign to save him from the death sentence.

As many as 34,000 signatures were collected in the petition for clemency. [online petition]

Took’s lawyer urged the president to reconsider the views of the dissenting judge but on Monday, the lawyers received a letter stating that the death sentence would remain, The Straits Times reported.

In Singapore, hangings will normally take place within two weeks after the final plea.

Huang Na’s disappearance from the wholesale market in October 2004 sparked a massive search by police and volunteers.

The police had also questioned Took in connection with the murder.

He later fled Singapore for Malaysia, sparking a nationwide search for him by Malaysian police.

He was arrested when he returned to the republic.

Took later led Singaporean police to the child’s naked and decomposed body, which was stuffed in a box in a park several kilometres from the market. – Bernama

Singapore