PUTRAJAYA, Oct 26 — The government of Malaysia respects the rule of law and due process of Singapore in the execution of Malaysian citizen Prabu N. Pathmanathan who was hanged at Changi prison at dawn Friday for drug trafficking.

Wisma Putra in its statement confirmed the execution at 6.23 am Friday in the presence of a representative of the High Commission of Malaysia in Singapore and Prabu’s family members.

"The High Commission is in communication with the family of the late Prabu on the arrangements for his remains,” the statement added.

Wisma Putra said on humanitarian grounds, the government of Malaysia had made an appeal for leniency to the government of Singapore.

Prabu, 31, was sentenced to death for committing several acts preparatory to and for the purposes of trafficking in 227.82g of diamorphine or heroin into the island state on Dec 31, 2014.

The execution took place after the President of Singapore’s office rejected Prabu family’s clemency petition Thursday night.

Earlier, a Bernama report quoted his family’s lawyer N. Surendran saying that the family had claimed the body and would be cremating the remains today. — Bernama