Pannir Selvam Pranthaman is a prolific Malaysian poet and musician. The Singaporean state wants to kill him on Thursday (20 February).
We bear witness to his humanity by letting his words move us to fight against senseless violence, be generous with second chances and care for our loved ones.
Despite all the odds, he refuses to be silenced—his art is his legacy, his protest and his fight for freedom. Even when facing death, Pannir insists on using his words to speak truth to power.
Pannir critiques social inequality, war and systemic neglect, capturing the suffering of the poor and vulnerable while questioning the world’s indifference. He urges us to choose to see, to act and to speak, to break the cycle of suffering.
Pannir reminds us that death row is not just a place—it’s a living graveyard where people are forced to wait for death, their stories and realities hidden from society. The death penalty regime thrives on dehumanisation, which makes it easier for the state to justify taking lives.
The justice system claims to uphold fairness but, in reality, it targets the vulnerable, ensuring that the cycle of poverty, punishment and oppression continues.
The death penalty isn’t about justice—it’s about control.
What happened to second chances? Pannir argues that real death is not the execution itself—it is the loss of compassion.
Pannir reminds each of us to nourish the warrior in our souls that fights for truth and justice in the face of darkness. He knows that to do so, we must hold on to the hope that we will prevail like the stars in the night sky.
Pannir has written multiple songs, including ‘Arah Tuju’, ‘Bukan Sekadar Hikayat’ and ‘Pintu Besi’. These songs have been produced and published in collaboration with Malaysian musicians. Listen to Pannir’s lyrics at our YouTube playlist: tinyurl.com/ListenToPannir.
Show up for Pannir, the activist: 19 Feb 2025, 7–9:30PM at Speakers’ Corner, Hong Lim Park
We gather this Wednesday night for a candlelight vigil to mark our resistance to Pannir’s execution and to honour the 12 people who have been murdered by the state in the last 12 months, through a collective memorial.
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