"Five minutes." "Have you ever been involved with any political organization" "Or group of people whose activities are political in nature?" "No, sir." "In the last seven years," "Have you consulted with a health care professional" "Regarding an emotional or mental health condition?" "No, sir." "Prior to prisons, has the government ever investigated your background" "Or given you a security clearance?" "Yes, sir." "I was an army regular." "What was your clearance level?" "Cat 2, confidential." "How long have you been with prisons?" "Two years." "Always technical workshop?" "Yes, sir." "Larangan is different from commonwealth." "We're a maximum security prison." " Have you been here before?" " No, sir." "Why'd you join prisons?" "I wanted to help those who want to change..." "And make them better people." "You'll be handling rehab prisoners." "But here, we also have punishment cells" "And condemned cells." "You're aware of that?" "Yes, sir." "Your cat 2a clearance will give you access to blocks a to d." "But the maximum security side at block e is out-of-bounds." " You got that?" " Yes, sir." "Here's your new security pass." "Put your full name here, your id, and sign here." "Up!" "Let's go." "Aiman!" "I need to get something." "Open quick!" "Wait!" "I need the spray." "There's a cockroach." "Just whack it!" "The cockroach is the flying type." "What are you doing?" "Quick!" "What are you looking at?" "Why are you so shy?" "You can't tell I'm on the toilet?" "Quick!" "Grandma told me her stomach is hurting again." "When was her last checkup?" "Last month, but they've scheduled another appointment." "Can you take shorter showers?" "Our bills have gone up by quite a lot." "Just because you can afford it now doesn't mean you should be wasteful." "It's a good thing grandma isn't here." "She'd make you bathe with a bucket." "Understand?" "Okay." "Tastes good?" "It's okay." "Hey, wear your shoe properly first." "Wear your shoe properly." "Hey, it's you again!" "Hey, inmate!" "Don't use your hand." "Use the pliers." "If your hand gets stuck, then what?" "Understand?" "Understood." "Joseph always goes there." "You know Joseph?" " I know." " Speaking of Joseph." "I've told him, just let them order what they want." " Comfort food." " Last meal?" "Last meal, you know." "Just let them be happy, right?" "We need to fatten them up." "Too light and they won't go down." "Yeah, he can be a little thick sometimes." "I don't know what goes on in his head." "He never gets it right." "What's this?" "The cabinet door fell off." "So dangerous." "It narrowly missed my feet." "Do you remember?" "How you used to hide in that cabinet?" "Funny," "You managed to fit in there even when you were fat." "Hey." "When was I ever fat?" "You remember those Popeye stickers?" "You used to sing..." "Papa the sailor man!" "Choo-choo!" "I tried to tell you it's Popeye, but you kept going "papa."" "It made grandma so upset." "I'll look for a new cabinet this weekend." "I can fix it." "Just get a new one." "This one's so old anyway." "Don't worry, I can fix it." "I don't care what management says." "Tell them what I said." "Up!" "Let's go." "Where are you going?" "Meeting john." "What time are you coming back?" "Late." "What time is late?" "Do I have a curfew now?" "I'm asking, that's all." "Late means late." "You mind your business and I'll do the same, okay?" "What's that supposed to mean?" "You know I don't like you working in that prison, but I don't say anything." "What does this have to do with the prison?" "Hi." "One moment, john." "Did I interrupt something?" "No, it's okay." "Come, let's go." " Return this for me." " Yes, chief." "Go pack up block e." "Get someone to help you." "Yes, chief." "Chief Rahim borrowed this that day." "Are the other guys around?" "They went for lunch." "Do you need help?" "Come, lift this with me." "One, two, three!" "Push the trolley." "This one's spoiled?" "Something inside's broken." " I think I can fix this." " We've tried already." "Come." "There's some more." "These two also go into that room." " Can you manage?" " Yes." "Joseph!" "Yes, chief!" " Did you call them or not?" " Yeah, they only have one inch." "Why you never checked earlier?" "I didn't know ah Tiong's not working there anymore." "Did you try other suppliers?" "Yeah, I called a few." "But they also don't have three-quarter inch." "I asked you to go down last week." "You go down or not?" "Not yet, chief." "I thought it was better to call them first." "What about beach road?" "The fishing shops there?" "I don't know those, chief." "I know somewhere." " Like fishing shops?" " No, chief." "It's like a warehouse, for boatmen." "At Sembawang." "Do they have these?" "We can give it a try." "You're one of Sabir's new guys?" "Yes, chief." "How do you know of this place?" "My grandfather was a boatman." "He used to take me there." "Joseph said you can fix the scale?" "I can try." "Shouldn't be tough." "You're a mechanic?" "No." "I went to the vocational training institute." "What did you do before joining the service?" "I was in the army." "Regular?" "Yes." "What was your vocation?" "Guards." "We don't get a lot of guys like you, from the army." "Most guys come straight out of school." "Nowadays, no one is tough enough for a job like this." "Those scholar types just don't get it," "Always hiding behind all the fucking rules." "You see that tree?" "Know what tree that is?" "White people call it a "ceme-tree."" "You're a serious guy, aren't you?" "The size doesn't really matter." "I can reduce one strand." "This the last roll I have." "Yes, this is good." "And then this one?" "What is this?" "That one is hemp rope." "Different from manila." "But that one, I don't have three-quarter inch." "What do you need the rope for?" "Some maintenance work." "Sis?" "Sis?" "Fuck!" "What's wrong with you?" "Don't you know how to knock?" "I found this the other day." "He wants me to meet his parents in Australia." "I met him." "Who?" "The hangman." "What?" "The same man who hanged our father?" "He's been doing it for over 30 years." "He told you that?" " What?" " That he's been doing it for 30 years." "He was in the papers." "I recognized his face." "Does he know who you are?" "Did you tell him?" "Did you tell john?" "Aiman!" "Chief Rahim's looking for you." " I'll be next door if you need me." " Okay, chief." "I need to redo the noose." "Come help me." "Go downstairs." "Remove the sandbag." "Loosen it." "And take that off." "There are three in all." "See the one at the bottom?" "Hold and twist." "Thanks, chief." " Do you have a girlfriend?" " No." "How come?" "Broke up a while back." "No chance to meet anyone new." "Any girl to introduce?" "No luck myself." "You're not married?" "Once." "For four years." "She didn't know I was an executioner." "She didn't know?" "She knew I was working in prisons." "But she didn't know I hanged people." "One day I told her." "She couldn't accept it, so she left me." "When was that?" "A long time ago." "When I was about your age." "Do you remember the people you hang?" "Some of them." "Especially those under my charge." "You talk to them?" "Sometimes." "Are they usually..." "Repentant?" "Some of them." "They ask for forgiveness." "They start praying." "What happened there?" "Gang fight." "When I was 17." "What happened?" "The fella slashed me twice." "Over what?" "He was staring at me." "So I stared back." "Something stupid like that." "I had a lot of anger in me." "A bad temper." "So I joined gangs." "And the army?" "During national service," "I changed." "Not sure why..." "Maybe it was the discipline in the army." "So I signed on." "Why did you leave?" "My officer didn't like me." "How come?" "Scholars." "Fuck them." "So after I finished my bond, I joined the prison service." "I thought it would be similar." "How?" "Is it similar?" "The discipline part, yes." "It's good that I joined prisons." "I can relate to the inmates." "The way I was before, I could easily have been the one behind bars." "Everyone makes mistakes." "Some people own up to them, some don't." "What's important is to face the consequences." "You remind me of when I was younger." "Me?" "Yeah." "You have principles." "People with principles make good leaders." "Unlike those who hide behind rules." "They are just followers." "I went to see grandma." "She asked if you are seeing anyone." "Nope." "What about the girl that time?" "What's her name?" "Why are you asking?" "Just asking." "We haven't discussed these things in a while." "You don't seem to go out anymore." "You don't have to worry about me." "You're always cooped up at home or at work." "It's not normal, okay?" "I'm fine." "Seriously." "If you want to take a break," "John said you can join us on a holiday to Sydney." "I..." "Can't take leave." "What's your problem with john?" "I don't have a problem." "What's wrong?" "Tomorrow there's one execution." "Chief wants me to conduct it." "Ma!" "Sir." "Aiman." "Come, have a seat." "I'm just looking through your security forms." "It says here your father's name is Ibrahim bin Fazril." "So, how come your surname is Yusof?" "I grew up as an orphan, sir." "My grandparents became my legal guardians." "So..." "Ibrahim Fazril is my grandfather." "I see." "Is he your paternal or maternal grandfather?" "Paternal." "I just need you to verify everything and then sign at the bottom." " What's this for, sir?" " It's just a security procedure." "So your biological father's name" "Would be Yusof Ibrahim?" "Yes, sir." "Sir, security department is asking for the report." "It's nearly done." "I'll send it to you." "Okay, sir." " Chief clerk called you in just now?" " Yes." "What did he ask you?" "Nothing much, he just went through a form with me." "Joseph asked to be transferred out." "I want you to take over as my assistant." "What about the other guys?" "They've been here longer than me, chief." "There's no one else suitable." "You've been doing well." "Learn the ropes, yeah?" "The length of the drop is very important." "But it's all common sense." "Look at the chart." "If the guy is 189 pounds, how long should the drop be?" "168 centimeters." "140 pounds?" "215 centimeters." "The idea is simple." "We need enough pressure to fracture his spine." "If the drop is too short, the guy would be strangled to death." "If it's too long..." "My job is to make sure he dies instantly." "Make sure there's no pain." "In some countries..." "They use the short drop." "It's pitiful, you know." "The guy really suffers." "They'll let him struggle for 30 minutes" "Until he turns blue and soils his pants before he dies." "But here..." "We are humane." "We make sure it is quick and painless." "The perfect job" "Is when we fracture between the second and third vertebrae." "This spot here." "Can you feel it?" "Mmm." "When he drops, you will hear a "crack!"" "And that's it." "He stops moving." "His heart stops." "Everything stops." "His soul is gone, just like that." "The score for that?" "Ten out of ten." "The trick is..." "To place the knot..." "Just beside the left ear above the jaw." "So the force hits..." "Just like that." "You'll see this Friday." "Okay, let's pack up." "Chief," "Do you have the keys to the archive cabinet?" "I'll return the file." "Just leave it at the registry." "They'll know what to do." "There." "Never mind, chief." "Take it." "Never mind." "Take it." "How much is the food?" "Don't worry about it." "Just eat." "For real?" "Eat." "You're sure you can fix the scale?" "Yeah." "Good." "Actually I can usually tell just by looking" "How much a person weighs." "Really?" "You are 158" "To 159 pounds?" "About 72 kilos." "More or less." "Go measure yourself." "Then tell me if it's more or less." "Chief." "How is he?" "He's been eating well these two days." " Morning, randy." " Morning, sir." "Ask the cookhouse to stick to the meal plan." "Yes, chief." "Did his family come today?" "No, no one came." "We tried calling, but no one came." "Aiman." "That's a pinion." "We use that to tie the legs." "What if he can't stand up?" "We let him sit on the chair." "We put on the hood so they don't see the noose." "But usually they're okay." "By the time they get here, they've accepted their fate." "Ready to go." "I remember this one guy." "In '85 or '86." "A really quiet fellow." "The night before," "He told his religious counselor that he didn't do it." "In the morning, we had to drag him out of his cell," "He was kicking and yelling all the way here." "I quickly put the noose on him." "He went down just like that." "No prayers, no nothing." "He didn't do it?" "He was just afraid and chickened out the night before." "Wanna try?" "There." "Remove the pin first." "Just pull the lever in one go." "Hello." "What are you doing?" "Tea break." "Will you be back late?" "Maybe." "Why?" "Can we talk?" "We can talk now." "There's something I've been wanting to tell you face-to-face" "But I didn't get the chance." "And I'm flying off soon." "John proposed to me." "And I said yes." "Congrats." "He wants me" "To move to Australia with him." "Aiman?" "I also have some news." "Do you remember the hangman I was talking about?" "He asked me to be his assistant." "You said no, right?" "Aiman?" "Aiman!" "Aiman!" "Open the door!" "Aiman!" "Open the door!" "Aiman!" "What do you think you're doing?" "Have you lost your mind?" "Why did you say those things?" "Are you trying to upset me?" "Okay." "Congratulations." "Isn't it what you wanted?" " Using that man to get out of here!" " Don't talk to me like that!" "So what if I want to get out of here?" "I'm tired." "Of our family bullshit." "Of caring for you, caring for grandma." "Caring for grandpa when they both got sick." "Is it wrong?" "For once, I want to lead my own life." "So did you agree?" "To work for that man?" "What are you trying to prove?" "I don't want to be like him." "Who?" "You are not father!" "But so what if you are like him?" " He made mistakes." " Everybody does." "I know you never met him." "He wasn't some monster." "He was my father." "He truly cared for me." "And for you too." "You know, I told john." "I told him everything." "And you were right." "I had to come clean." " And you know what?" " He didn't mind." "Of course he didn't mind." " Because he's not family!" " Don't you understand?" "I'm marrying him." " He is family!" " Okay, fine!" "Then you can get out of here, be his family." "Don't bother about me!" "You always do this." "Saying things to hurt me!" "You trying to drive me away?" "You doing this on purpose?" "You've gone too far, Aiman." "I've had enough." "Hi." "What's your name?" "Mom!" "Hi, good afternoon." "I'm looking for Mrs. Tan." "Yes?" "Hi, I'm from Larangan prison." "You were supposed to drop off some clothes for Mr. Randy tan this morning?" "He's from the prison." "She's not in." "She's not in." "Carry on." "Had your lunch?" "Yes, sir." "Was it good?" "I asked the cookhouse to make it specially for you." "Thank you, sir." "Father Daniel came today?" "You spoke with him?" "Your wife, she came by." "When?" "She brought you this..." "For you to wear on Friday." "Where is she now?" "Your father-in-law didn't want her to see you." "She's glad that you signed your organ donor sheet." "You are leaving this world and helping others." "She's forgiven you, randy." "What if that guy..." "Really didn't do it?" "Which guy?" "The one who had to be dragged out of his cell." "He pleaded guilty." "The judge found him guilty." "That's that." "What's up with you?" "Nothing." "You okay for tomorrow?" "I'm okay, chief." "Cigarette?" "Put the oil back." "Come, I'll give you a ride home." "Where should I turn?" "At this traffic light." "The next guy after randy has been with us five years." "His twin boys come every day." "Poor things, those two." "What did he commit?" "Drugs trafficking." "Heroin." "Do you feel sorry for him?" "What's the point?" "He only trafficked drugs." "Not like it's murder." "So now you don't think we should hang them?" "Move!" "Thanks, chief..." "For the ride." "Good night." "Come on, let's go." "Hey, we must go already." "Hey, wake up!" "Randy, up!" "Up!" "Let's go." "Take a deep breath, randy." "Deep breaths." "Slowly." "Slowly." "Don't worry." "Just follow me." "May Christ, the son of the living god," "Set you on the evergreen loveliness of his paradise." "And may he, the true shepherd, recognize you..." "Come on, randy, come on." "Pinion." "I'm sending you to a better place, randy." "Take off the hood." "Time of death: 06:06." "Condition leading to death:" "Fractured dislocation of cervical spine." "Onset of death:" "Instantaneous." "One, two, three, four." "Two, two, three, four." "Hi, this is Suhaila." "I can't come to the phone right now." "Please leave me a message, and I'll call you back as soon as I can." "Hi, this is Suhaila." "I can't come to the phone right now." "Please leave me a message..." "Sis?" "Sis?" " Chief clerk's not in?" " No." "Pass this to him." "Yes, chief." "Ah." "My guy's security clearance done yet?" "Not yet." "Security department just got his birth certificate." "Chief." "Where did you go?" "There was an emergency at home." "Had to go back for a while." "What kind of emergency?" "Did you bring the gallows key out?" "Tell me the truth." "What do you mean?" "I just went home for a while." "Anything you want to tell me?" "I think that..." "I can't continue here, chief." "Maybe it's best that I transfer back" "To the workshop." "I'm more used to things over there." "Give me back the key." "You can leave now." "Who sent you?" "Who do you work for?" "No one." "Don't fuck with me." "You think I'm some spy?" "We'll let security department look into it." "What did I do wrong?" "You didn't declare who your father was." "That's a chargeable offense." "Don't pretend you didn't know that." "Why does it matter?" "Your father was a murderer." "Thought you could just waltz in here?" "You shouldn't even be here." "So what if my father was a murderer?" "I'm not him!" "He committed the crime, and I have to pay for it?" "My whole life I've had to struggle with what he did." "I joined gangs." "I did drugs." "I almost died, you know?" "It's a miracle that I can have a job I'm good at." "You said so yourself." "But now it's not good enough?" "It's easy for you to talk about redemption to randy." "That his family's better off..." "What I tell him is none of your business." "Bullshit!" "You lied to randy so it's easier for you to hang him!" "What compassion?" "What principles?" "All you care about is yourself, how good you are at killing people!" "Who do you think you are?" "Who the fuck do you think you are?" "You come in here and think you can tell me what's right and wrong?" "Who are you?" "I'm good at killing people." "So what?" "How fucked up your life is has nothing to do with me or what I do." "It's fucked up because of what your father did." "Don't blame me." "He cut up his friend to cover his tracks." "What sick person would do that?" "Serves him right, you understand?" "Still, I did my job nice and clean despite what he did." "Do you know what the papers said about him?" "People were saying hanging was too easy for him." "But I still did my job." "I made it painless." "That is compassion, understand?" "Who are you to lecture me?" "Your father was hanged and you want to become a hangman." "How fucked up are you?" "I've written up your charge sheet." "In the morning, I'll send it in for your disciplinary review." "You can get lost now." "Hi, this is Suhaila." "I can't come to the phone right now." "Please leave me a message, and I'll call you back as soon as I can." "Sis." "How's Australia?" "You okay?" "I don't know what to do now." "I'm confused." "They found out about father." "I think..." "I'm going to get charged." "Because I didn't declare." "You were right." "Why didn't I listen to you?" "When you get this..." "Call me back..." "Okay?" "Yeah, Aiman." "Why, what happened?" "Something's wrong." "I'll tell you later." "And Joseph?" "Hey, uncle, what's for lunch?" "Aiman!" "Sir." "We got a call from the hospital this morning." "Chief Rahim had an accident." "But I was just with him last night." "I don't know what happened." "Police are investigating." "How is he, sir?" "He's in the ICU." "Still hasn't woken up." "Actually..." "There's something I need to talk to you about." "Permanent secretary rang this morning," "Asking who is going to take over as executioner." "I recommended you." "There's a high-profile drugs case coming up." "We can't afford to wait." "I was there yesterday." "You did very well." "Your chief would be very happy to know that you took over." "Have you visited chief?" "Yep." "I'm glad you're taking over." "You're a lot braver than me." "I just couldn't pull the lever." "Seventy-three." "Come." "Mr. Leong?" "Yeah." "Here's my father's clothes." "From your sons." "What's that?" "Sis?" "Aiman, are you okay?" "I just got your message." "Did they charge you?" "Aiman!" "No." "They haven't charged me yet." "Is there a chance they won't?" "What will you do now?" "Hey, let's go." "Sorry, I have to go now." "Okay, Aiman." "I know that you will make the right decision." "You always do." "You're my little brother." "Whatever happens, I'll be here for you." "Thanks, sis." "Morning, sir." "Aiman." "This is Mr. Singh." " Morning, sir." " Morning." "This is Mr. Siew." " Good morning, sir." " Morning." "You ready?" "Get up!" "Come, follow me." "Come." "Few more steps." "Few more steps."