Read Online Once a Jolly Hangman by Alan Shadrake - Free Book Online
Authors: Alan Shadrake
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proposed setting up a Prison Inquiry Commission to find ways and means to attempt to rehabilitate them or at least treat them humanely. He reported that when prisoners were approached by a British prison officer they had to kneel on the floor with head down, which made him extremely angry. The Commission was set up in November 1959 with Nair as chairman. The commissioners were Professor T.H. Elliott and Dr Jean Robertson of the University of Malaya in Singapore, Jek Yuen Thong, Osman bin Abdul Gani, Chean Kim Seang, Tay Kay Hai, Sandrasegaram Woodhull and Francis Thomas. The following year they issued a report on the best way to solve the problem of crime and criminals including the 'gangster' problem. Overcrowded prisons were a major sore especially with regards to hygiene and discipline. Nair suggested to the commissioners he had the ideal solution - he called it the Pulau Senang rehabilitation experiment.
The experiment began on 18 May 1960 when Dutton arrived on the island with 50 detainees. Within the next three years, as the numbers increased to 320, they transformed the island into an attractive, busy settlement with roads and a water supply, huts, workshops, canteen and dormitories. The uprising began on July 12 1963. A group of about 70 to 90 detainees armed themselves with weapons and attacked the wardens and burned down most of the buildings. Then they targeted Dutton, cornered him in the radio room as he was calling for help, and hacked and burned him to death. Two other officers were killed and many prisoners who did not take part in the riot were also seriously injured. When the police arrived on the island all was quiet. None of them offered any resistance. Some were even seen playing guitars and singing songs, according to court records. After an investigation 58 were charged with rioting and the murders of Dutton and his assistants, Arumugam Veerasingham and Tan Kok Hian. The prisoners were mostly hardened criminals or secret society members detained without trial. Despite Dutton's promises, many had little or no hope of ever leaving the island. They also complained of being over-worked like slaves, often late at night. Allegations of corruption were rife, that some prisoners were given preferential treatment by being allowed to return to the mainland at weekends for family visits in Changi Prison in return for bribes. While this was found to be untrue the rumours persisted. Prisoners also felt the system of release was biased and unpredictable. Dutton's faith in this brave new world came to its inevitable, violent end.
It was to be an unprecedented trial in Singapore's history and became a significant case reported in the Malayan Law Journal. In fact, the Pulau Senang trial is recorded in the Journal as being unparalleled in the legal history of Singapore and Malaya. A special dock had to be built in the Assize Court to accommodate all the accused. It was an enormous task ensuring everyone had a fair hearing. The trial was to last an unprecedented 64 days. A seven-member jury of Singaporean civilians - Chinese, Malay and Indian - would decide their fate. The evidence they were to hear was lurid in the extreme. Darshan Singh also helped escort the prisoners back and forth every day for the trial and formed part of the guard inside the court, he told me during an interview. One archived newspaper report quoted detainee and chief prosecution witness, Liew Woon, who said he saw Dutton 'being burned alive and assaulted with an axe' by two armed rioters in the settlement's radio room. Liew said two other detainees - Sim Hoe Seng who was carrying a tin of petrol and Chan Wah who had the axe - climbed onto the roof of the radio room. He said Chan smashed the wooden roof and Sim set the building ablaze. Liew said Dutton - 'with part of his body on fire' - tried to escape but was confronted by four other accused one of whom slashed at him with a parang and another with an axe before he collapsed. He said during the
The experiment began on 18 May 1960 when Dutton arrived on the island with 50 detainees. Within the next three years, as the numbers increased to 320, they transformed the island into an attractive, busy settlement with roads and a water supply, huts, workshops, canteen and dormitories. The uprising began on July 12 1963. A group of about 70 to 90 detainees armed themselves with weapons and attacked the wardens and burned down most of the buildings. Then they targeted Dutton, cornered him in the radio room as he was calling for help, and hacked and burned him to death. Two other officers were killed and many prisoners who did not take part in the riot were also seriously injured. When the police arrived on the island all was quiet. None of them offered any resistance. Some were even seen playing guitars and singing songs, according to court records. After an investigation 58 were charged with rioting and the murders of Dutton and his assistants, Arumugam Veerasingham and Tan Kok Hian. The prisoners were mostly hardened criminals or secret society members detained without trial. Despite Dutton's promises, many had little or no hope of ever leaving the island. They also complained of being over-worked like slaves, often late at night. Allegations of corruption were rife, that some prisoners were given preferential treatment by being allowed to return to the mainland at weekends for family visits in Changi Prison in return for bribes. While this was found to be untrue the rumours persisted. Prisoners also felt the system of release was biased and unpredictable. Dutton's faith in this brave new world came to its inevitable, violent end.
It was to be an unprecedented trial in Singapore's history and became a significant case reported in the Malayan Law Journal. In fact, the Pulau Senang trial is recorded in the Journal as being unparalleled in the legal history of Singapore and Malaya. A special dock had to be built in the Assize Court to accommodate all the accused. It was an enormous task ensuring everyone had a fair hearing. The trial was to last an unprecedented 64 days. A seven-member jury of Singaporean civilians - Chinese, Malay and Indian - would decide their fate. The evidence they were to hear was lurid in the extreme. Darshan Singh also helped escort the prisoners back and forth every day for the trial and formed part of the guard inside the court, he told me during an interview. One archived newspaper report quoted detainee and chief prosecution witness, Liew Woon, who said he saw Dutton 'being burned alive and assaulted with an axe' by two armed rioters in the settlement's radio room. Liew said two other detainees - Sim Hoe Seng who was carrying a tin of petrol and Chan Wah who had the axe - climbed onto the roof of the radio room. He said Chan smashed the wooden roof and Sim set the building ablaze. Liew said Dutton - 'with part of his body on fire' - tried to escape but was confronted by four other accused one of whom slashed at him with a parang and another with an axe before he collapsed. He said during the
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