Letter No. 2 from Yong Vui Kong (YVK)

Yetian,

Thank you, and thank you to all the kind-hearted strangers who have helped me. Thank you to all those who read my letters. I hope that everyone can read them. This is the only way for me to connect with the outside world.
Yetian, you said that life is very precious.
To me, life is the most important thing in the world. There are many things that mean a lot to me. But even if you have a lot of money, or many material possessions, you still only have one life.

In the past, I did not value or respect my life. It was only later that I realised those who do not respect their own lives, cannot expect others to respect them.
I watch my fellow inmates losing their lives, one by one, because of they were ignorant, or easily misled. It breaks my heart.  I know I'll be just like them. So I would like to use every remaining day of my life to tell people my story.

I want to tell everyone not to make mistakes, not to end up on death row because of drugs. I want to tell them never to take drugs and destroy their lives.
Thinking back to the day Yun Leong came to see me at the detention centre, I was crying like a child. I was so afraid. My hands and legs were trembling as I cried. I had broken down. All my macho bravado had disappeared.
I was very afraid of death. I didn't know what would happen to me after I die.

'I don't blame the Singapore government'
I am very grateful for my life. I am very grateful towards all those who have worked hard to try to save me, and to ask for the Singaporean president to grant me clemency. If I were to give up now, wouldn't I be letting them down?
I really don't want those who have supported me, helped me and encouraged me to be sad.
I don't know why, but I know that my case has caused a lot of quarrels between people. I said before that life is not something to be wasted, but to be cherished. Quarreling is a waste of life.
I don't blame the Singapore government. I don't blame anyone. I believe that every country has its laws. If you make a mistake and get caught, then you deserve to be punished. I also know that Singapore is governed by rule of law. Asking a country to change its law is a very difficult thing.
I don't yearn for anything. All I want is more time.
I am a death row inmate. I have no right to ask for the abolishment of the death penalty. But I still feel that the death penalty is not a workable solution.

I am grateful to those who have been able to forgive me. It is a miracle that I have been able to live this long. I will take good care of myself, study hard and improve myself.

'I don't yearn to leave prison'
You asked me what I would do if I were granted clemency.
While I'm alive, I will work hard to share my experience with everyone.
I will devote my whole life to help those who other people are unable to reach.
Even if I do not get a second chance, I hope that everyone will always remember to give themselves a second chance. Life will be fuller this way.
Yetian, it's been hard on you. You have to write to me even though you have to work. I am really happy, and hope to keep writing. I will stop here today.


My Note:


I reserved my greatest sympathy and respect to you, YVK. It doesn't matter to me who you are. Whether you are white or black.  Irrespective of what religious that you are devoted to. But what really matter to me most is your sincerity in admitting the wrong doing that you've done and the courage that you'll completely transform yourself  if you're given a second chance to continue with your life.


Wish you best of lucks.

Letter from a man who is awaiting to be executed.

Sabahan Yong Vui Kong, 21, is on death row in Singapore for drug trafficking. Below is his fifth letters to Yetian, a member of the Save Vui Kong Campaign. In the next few weeks as he faces death.

Yetian, this my fifth letter, so I have seven letters to go before I die. I have seven more chances to put my feelings into words and to thank everyone for taking time from their busy lives to help me.
In this fifth letter, there is a lot that I want to say. When a country becomes a successful country, it is because there are very good leaders, very good laws and very good citizens.
Just like our country, we have leaders who are not so bad and we have laws which apply to everyone. But the most important thing is we have very good citizens. If we don't have such kind-hearted citizens, no one would know about my case.

When a person makes a mistake, he will have to be punished. We need to follow the law. I made a mistake in Singapore, and so they want me to suffer the consequences of the law. I feel that this is justified because they are following the law of a good country.
I have told you before that I was very afraid of being executed. When I heard the judge say that I had to face capital punishment, I was very scared and did not know what to do.
At the time, my lawyer told me that I would have to make an appeal. I was already studying Buddhist philosophy, and I knew that Buddhism says that we cannot lie. I really believed that appealing meant that I would have to lie, and stand up in court to say that I was not guilty. I didn't want to do that because I knew I have done wrong, so I decided to withdraw my appeal.
If we cheat others, we might be able to escape death, but when we die eventually, we will be punished in Hell: Isn't it very painful?

In the end, my elder brother Yun Leong helped me engage a new lawyer. He said that it was very important to appeal my case. I did not really understand so he explained a lot about matters regarding the death penalty and the law, and I let him do as he saw fit.
My lawyer explained to me that I could ask for clemency and commute my death sentence into life imprisonment. This way, I can stay in prison, study Buddhist scriptures and see Yun Leong regularly.

Laws are made by man

I am working hard to learn English and to read my case, because I want to know more about the law in Singapore.
I finally understood one point - that laws are made by man. Since they are made by man, man can also change them. For example, some laws involving the death penalty.
I am reminded of a fellow inmate who was forcibly dragged out for execution, and I am pained, because he was very young. I wonder, did he really have to die?
Yetian, you told me that the home minister and law minister publicly agreed to reconsider the death penalty, but they have not yet taken any action. Maybe because they are busy with other national affairs. But I believe that as high-ranking officials, they will fulfil their commitments.
I wrote many letters, but Yun Leong said only a few people received them. Perhaps many of the letters were stopped by the prison warden or maybe because my case and many other death penalty cases in lawful Singapore are being monitored, so they are very careful with my letters.
But let me honestly tell everyone, my letters contain all my feelings and I hope that everyone can read my letters.


My Note :

Thanks the Almighty Allah for giving me a chance to live peacefully in this temporary world that You've created.  All this while I'm abiding with all the regulations imposed by You in sustaining myself as an obedient servant of Yours as long as I'm allow to breath in this beautiful world.

However, ya Allah, I'm completely astonished after reading the above letter from a young man whom had miserably realised his mistake. I pray to You Allah, please forgive this young man and let him go with another chance to prove his worth & sincerity to become a good man living in this world.

Amin.

Syabas - Alumni KBSS

Saya mendapat tahu bahawa Alumni KBSS telah mengadakan Majlis Tahlil, Majlis Anugerah & Pameran dan kemuncaknya pertandingan Bowling di Megamall Prai petang semalam. Tahniah kepada semua.

Sebenarnya saya mendapat jemputan untuk menghadirinya dalam pertengahan bulan lepas dari Haji Fauzi Omar iaitu rakan sekerja saya semasa di Petronas. Haji Fauzi ni sebaya dengan saya dan bersara beberapa bulan lebih awal dari saya. Kami beberapa kali menghadiri kursus bersama dulu. Saya biasa pergi belajar daripadanya sekitar tahun 1996 bagaimana untuk melaksanakan ISO untuk Servis Station Petronas kerana Station Permatang Batu, Butterworth dibawah kendalian beliau ketika itu merupakan stesen pertama Petronas mendapat pengiktirafan ISO. Haji Fauzi ni bukan bekas pelajar KBSS. Tetapi isterinya adalah Pengetua KBSS sekarang.

Masa saya belajar dulu, Kartar Singh adalah Headmaster nya. Kabarnya juga Jeneral Azizan adalah Yang Di Pertua Alumni sekarang. Jeneral Azizan ini memang saya kenal sangat. Beliau adalah junior saya semasa di KBSS dulu. Kalau tak silap saya, beliau orang Permatang Kuang. Kali terakhir kami berjumpa ialah di TUDM Kuantan sekitar tahun 1994. Pada ketika itu team bolasepak Petronas Wilayah Timur yang dipimpin oleh saya mengadakan perlawanan persahabatan dengan TUDM Kuantan. Beliau ketika itu berpangkat Mejar mengenali & menegur saya.

Saya mengatakan kepada Haji Fauzi yang saya tak dapat hadir kerana kebetulan saya baru balik dari Jakarta pada 28/4/2011. Adalah sukar untuk saya bergegas pula ke Penang ketika masih keletihan.

Jadi, saya mengambil kesempatan ini untuk mengucapkan Tahniah kepada Alumni KBSS kerana berjaya bergerak aktif.

Saya juga tercari-cari sahabat lama yang belajar di KBSS dari tahun 1968 hingga 1973. Saya alu-alukan mereka untuk menghubungi saya melalui blog ini.

Diantara kawan2 karib saya yang biasa tinggal serumah sewa semasa tingkatan 5 ialah  Sabri Ismail Tasik Gelugor, Mohd Zaki Penaga dan Razali (Tak ingat orang mana), Kawan2 lain yang saya ingat seperti Arifin Darus, Teo Eng Pmtg Janggus, Shaari Yahya Pmtg Janggus, Othman Walad Penaga, Pak Lah Kepala Batas, Mustaffa Bumbung Lima, Ismail Pmtg Bogak dan lain2 lagi.

Selamat Maju jaya kepada semua.

Wassalam