Singapore: Nagaenthran's low IQ not intellectual disability

Singaporean authorities have again disputed that Nagaenthran Dharmalingam was intellectually disabled and implied saying so was misinformation.

The city-state's Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) argued that having a low IQ does not mean Nagaenthran had a disability.

"It should be noted that in the US, two persons were executed in October 2021. They had IQ ranges of 64-72 and 63-95 respectively, similar to Nagaenthran.

"The US Courts dismissed arguments relating to their alleged intellectual disability," the bureau said in a statement yesterday.

The bureau also said Nageanthran's lawyer M Ravi conceded he did not have the medical expertise to support his claim that the accused had a mental age of a person below 18 years old.

It reiterated that a psychiatrist called by the defence agreed in court that Nagaenthran was not intellectually disabled.

Further, it said the courts found that the 33-year-old's actions showed he was "capable of manipulation and evasion", such as when he told border security officers that he was working in security in order to stop being searched.

"Nagaenthran’s actions evidenced a deliberate, purposeful, and calculated decision, in the hope that the endeavour would pay off, despite the obvious risks.

"This was the working of a criminal mind, weighing the risks and countervailing benefits associated with the criminal conduct in question.

"Nagaenthran considered the risks, balanced it against the reward he had hoped he would get, and decided to take the risk," the CBN said, citing court rulings.

Nagaenthran was on death row for more than a decade for trafficking about 42.7g of heroin into Singapore.

He was executed yesterday after the courts rejected his final appeal.

He is expected to be laid to rest in his hometown of Ipoh, Perak tomorrow. - Mkini