MALAYSIA. MALAYSIA BACKS SINGAPORE DECISION TO EXECUTE AUSTRALIAN

Malaysia's Foreign Minister supported Singapore's decision to execute Australian heroin trafficker Nguyen Tuong Van, saying the death penalty was a necessary legal deterrent.
"The death penalty meted out by the Singapore court is in accordance with the laws. We cannot interfere in what another country is doing," Syed Hamid Albar told The Associated Press.
Vietnam-born Nguyen, 25, was hanged before dawn despite numerous appeals from Australian leaders for his life to be spared. He received a mandatory death sentence after being caught with almost 400 grams (14 ounces) of heroin at the city-state's Changi Airport in 2002, en route from Cambodia to Australia. "Both our countries have got the death penalty. Other countries may not consider it appropriate but these are laws within our own countries," Syed Hamid said.