KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 – A Malaysian facing a death sentence for distributing drugs in Singapore has applied to refer his case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

K. Datchinamurthy’s lawyer, N. Surendran, said his client faced an "unfair trial” in Singapore for the offence committed in 2011, as the Malaysian man was given a death sentence while his accomplice, a Singaporean woman, was sentenced to jail and had received a "certificate of cooperation” to escape the noose.

"This is unfair. We want the proper due process to take place. How come both of them are charged, but he gets a death sentence and she is able to walk?,” he told Malay Mail Online today.

The Padang Serai MP also urged the ICJ to immediately look into the matter, claiming it was an abuse of international law.

"The ICJ must investigate this case, we have all the necessary grounds. It is unfair that one person has to hang for this,” Surendran said.

Datchinamurty and J. Christeen were charged in 2015 with possession and distributing drugs under Singapore’s Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA).

Datchinamurty was found guilty by Singapore’s High Court for dealing 44.96 grams of diamorphine (pure heroin).

After cooperating with the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), Christeen’s charge was reduced from a death sentence to life imprisonment.