Today-Oct 19
The findings of three studies showing strong support of Singapore’s use of the death penalty for serious crimes such as murder and drug trafficking have been released in full for the first time by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The studies were either conducted or commissioned by MHA between 2018 and 2021, and their reports released on Wednesday (Oct 19). This is the first time MHA has released the full reports from these studies, the ministry confirmed in response to TODAY’s queries. On whether it was done to address international criticism and pressure to halt the death penalty here, MHA added: “The findings are being published now as the analysis of the results have been finalized and the reports have been completed.” It added that Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam had also mentioned during the Budget debate in March that the findings would be released after the results had been analyzed. In July this year, United Nations experts published an article condemning Singapore’s execution of 64-year-old drug trafficker Nazeri Bin Lajim earlier that month. Two separate statements were also made last month by the United Kingdom-based International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute and Switzerland-based International Commission of Jurists, calling for Singapore to place a moratorium on executions with a view to abolish the death penalty. The study, titled “Singapore Residents’ Attitudes towards the Death Penalty”, surveyed 2,000 Singapore residents, comprising both citizens and permanent residents aged 15 and above. It showed that while 66 per cent of participants either strongly agreed or agreed with the use of the mandatory death penalty, as Mr Shanmugam had mentioned, 14 per cent were neutral, while 20 per cent strongly disagreed or disagreed with its use. Read more at: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/mha-studies-support-death-penalty-2023096
