Law Minister appoints lawyer to represent mentally ill Yishun cat abuse suspect

Law Minister K Shanmugam is a noted cat lover himself, but he believes that everyone — no matter how foul their deeds may be — deserves a fair trial. 

That’s why he appointed a lawyer to help represent the alleged cat killer of Yishun in court, pro bono. 

In an articulate, emotional post on his Facebook page, the minister wrote of how he got to know of the suspect — 40-year-old Lee Wai Leong — who was said to be severely mentally ill. He was charged with tossing a cat to its death off the 13th floor of a HDB block in Yishun. 

“One of my volunteers subsequently told me that Mr Lee’s family broke down in court. They spoke to my volunteers, told him that they were unsure of the charges and the next steps. They also shared with my volunteers, Mr Lee’s medical condition. They said that he had the mentality of a kid, suffers from epilepsy fits and seizures that occur almost on a daily basis. He gives monosyllabic answers to questions. He does not work. He never went beyond (Primary 4 education), and was exempted from (national service) because of his medical condition. He gets treatment at (Khoo Teck Puat Hospital).” 

As the suspect’s elderly father is the sole bread winner of the family, it was clear that they could not afford to engage a lawyer. Shanmugam — the Member of Parliament representing the family’s constituency of Nee Soon GRC — decided to ask Josephus Tan to help out the family. The lawyer, who helps out in Shanmugam’s branch, agreed to do it pro bono.

Of course, Shanmugam expected some backlash for his decision, and some have even advised him against doing it as folks would assume that they are condoning the cat abuse. 

“I thought about this – in my mind, (based on what the parents have said) it was and is very clear that my duty is to help Mr Lee get a lawyer. The court can then get all the facts and decide on the question of whether he is guilty, as well as the appropriate sentence, if (with emphasis), he is found guilty.”

While emotions are high about the many still-unsolved cases of stray cat killings in Yishun, Shanmugam advised the public to refrain from coming to conclusions about Lee, and leave matters to the court. 

“The key thing is that the person(s) responsible for the killings should be identified and stopped; and should face the punishment according to the law,” he concluded. “If someone is mentally unsound, then that is a matter to be proven in court, and for the court to consider in deciding on what to do.”

You can read the minister’s whole post below: