6 August, Daily Express
Sandakan: Time is running out for Yong Vui Kong, the 22-year-old Sandakan youngster charged with drug trafficking in Singapore.
The last date for him to file his clemency is Aug. 26 and Sandakan Co-ordinator of the “Give Yong Vui Kong A Second Chance” campaign hopes to gather 100,000 signatures to be presented to the island republic’s President.
“We expect to collect some 100,000 signatures from friends, relatives, supporters and concerned citizens from the on-line petition (Stand Up for Yong Blog) and signing petition on the ground.
“The on-line petition was first initiated by the Singapore lawyer and Kuala Lumpur followed suit.
“From the Sabah side, the latest date for the signature campaign is August 20 as we have to submit the names to the organisers in Kuala Lumpur by August 22,” said Wong who is Secretary-General of the Sandakan Chinese Chamber of Commerce. He is assisted by Poon Kee Yang @ Fong Sui Ku in his personal capacity and other Sandakan residents.
Wong and Poon stressed that Yong deserves a second chance, given his difficult childhood, lack of guidance from young and ignorance of the law.
“Sadly, he came from a broken family. He was a school drop-out and thus left to fend for himself from age of 10. Obviously, he was easily influenced by peers and exploited by drug barons,” said Stephen.
“But now he is repentant and wants to help others by educating them that drug-trafficking is not the way out. In fact, he is even counselling other convicts,” said the duo.
They wondered why “drug lords” are usually not nabbed by the authorities, who only go after “drug peddlers”. “They know how to make use of ‘young people’ who are young, innocent and less knowledgeable, and don’t know about the death penalty.”
Speaking to Daily Express in an interview arranged by Wong here, Yong’s siblings, eldest brother Yun Sang, 31, and elder sister Vui Fung, 20, said their brother is now a completely changed person.
“We could not recognise him when we visited him in the prison.
“Our brother is remorseful and realises his youthful folly which led him to a disastrous path,” they said.
Vui Fung said Yong’s turning over a new leaf was reflected in the letters he wrote to family members for the past two years.
“He hopes that his ‘lesson’ will serve as a deterrent to others.
He appeals to others to avoid the road that leads to self-destruction.
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已有万四人联署拯救杨伟光
【本刊陈碧环撰述】马来西亚各地陆续举办多场联署运动，要求新加坡 宽赦死囚杨伟光，杨伟光故乡沙巴民众反应热烈，除了东马英文报章《婆罗洲邮报》和《Daily Express》连续两天头条报道相关新闻，山打根中华商会亦举办联署活动，希望新加坡当局能给予杨伟光宽赦，予以第二次重生的机会。
山打根中华商会今天举办拯救杨伟光（左图右）联署活动，该会秘书长黄天发接受《独立新闻在线》电访时透露，该会目前已收集到一万多个签名。
黄天发表示，该会主要是基于人道立场而举办联署活动。同时，他也表示相信杨伟光是因为没有受到好的教育而误入歧途。
“他是山打根人，我们不认识他，但我们认识他的亲戚，我们知道他的家庭环境、背景。我们相信他不知道这样做会被判死刑，所以才会被误导。”
民众热烈支持联署
黄天发透露，该会在沙巴各地区都有派人收集签名，而该会是总站，他说：“各地区负责人收集了签名之后便会送到我们这边。现在还有十多天时间，我们会继续举办联署活动，以便赶在特赦大限前收集到更多签名。”
询及现场民众反应如何，黄天发毫不犹豫地说“非常好”，之后便进一步透露，相信是因为砂拉越英文报章《婆罗洲邮报》（Borneo Post）和沙巴英文报章《Daily Express》连续两天的头条报道关系，民众的反应都非常热烈，有些甚至主动打电话了解详细情况。
除此，黄天发也呼吁有意参与联署的民众可以通过网上联署方式给予支持。“我们能够去的地方有限，所以希望民众可以上网签名。”
最后，他再次呼吁民众上网支持联署，并希望新加坡当局能给予杨伟光第二次重生的机会。
8月26日特赦大限
截至昨天，“给予杨伟光第二次机会以增强新加坡反毒品贩运政策”请愿书已有14137人参与联署。【点击：已有万四人联署拯救杨伟光 下周二两地人士开讲论死刑】
现在距离8月26日的特赦大限还有20天，由隆雪华堂民权委员会及“人民之声”（SUARAM）成立的“杨伟光后援会”赶在大限前收集10万个签名，向新加坡总统纳丹上书要求宽赦杨伟光。【点击：“给予杨伟光第二次机会以增强新加坡反毒品贩运政策”联署网站】
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Only 10% of target met
August 6, 2010, Friday, Borneo Post
SANDAKAN: The Save Yong Vui Kong signature campaign has collected more than 10 per cent of the targeted 100,000 signatures in Malaysia and Singapore.
The campaign, launched on July 22 here and co-sponsored by the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall and Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram), is aimed at seeking clemency for Sandakan-born Vui Kong, who was last year sentenced to hang in Singapore for trafficking in 47 grams of a controlled drug, diamorphine, on June 13, 2007 when he was 18 years and six months old.
“So far, SCCC has received more than 10,000 signatures but we are waiting for more to come in from the youth wings of Teo Chiew Association and United Chinese Community Associations Sandakan, Sabah before we compile and send them to Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall and counsel Ravi of Singapore,” said Sandakan Chinese Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) chairman Stephen Wong yesterday.
He added that continuous efforts were being made by all quarters to collect more signatures before the August 20 deadline and he urged all those who have yet to sign up to do so to enable the campaign meet its target.
In Tawau, the campaign collected 6,000 signatures.
Tawau member of parliament Datuk Chua Soon Bui who is heading the drive here, called on the people for support to give Vui Kong a second chance.
Meanwhile Chua’s assistant, Jenny Lau said they were aiming to get as many signatures as possible before August 20.
Many individuals have already come forward to help in getting the signatures. Those who want to help collect signatures can also get the forms from Chua’s office at Takada.
Jenny also urged the public to spread the news of the campaign so that Vui Kong could be given a second chance.
Members of the public can go online to endorse a petition to the Singapore president at http://www.petitiononline.com/SaveVK/petition.html.
SAVE VUI KONG 给杨伟光第二次机会 
I agreed that Yong v k should be given a second chance because he showed his determination to changed & turn to s new leaf. I believe he is sincere in changing to a better person. I would appreciate if the law on Singapore will give a second chance to Yong vui kong by monitoring his changes after released. It will be a great contribution for others if he could play a role in helping others to stop using drug.