Overview

• Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau confirmed the hanging of 39-year-old Datchinamurthy Kataiah on Thursday following an unexplained morning postponement.
• Prison authorities first halted the dawn execution, then reversed the decision and told his family to collect his body by midafternoon, according to the family’s lawyer.
• He was arrested in 2011 with about 45 grams of heroin, convicted in 2015, granted a stay in 2022, saw his challenge dismissed in August 2025, and was denied clemency.
• The case marked Singapore’s 11th execution of 2025 and the third involving a Malaysian this year, with activists estimating more than 40 people remain on death row.
• Authorities argue capital punishment deters serious drug crimes, while rights groups press for a halt and say three Malaysians and a Singaporean now face imminent execution after losing appeals.