MHA releases, for the first time, full studies showing support for death penalty to deter drug trafficking
SINGAPORE — 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 finalised 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 analysed.
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.
Law experts and sociologists that TODAY spoke to said that the release of the full findings was likely meant to send a signal to local and international critics of the death penalty that local and regional sentiments are largely in favour of the punishment.
However, one expert noted that these studies may only convince those who are neutral or "somewhat opposed" to the death penalty.
But for those who are already strongly opposed to it, such as youths who are exposed to a myriad of anti-death penalty messages online, it is unlikely that such studies will convince them to change their stance.
During the parliamentary debate in March, Mr Shanmugam mentioned findings from two of the studies.
One of them, commissioned by MHA and conducted between 2018 and 2021, found that more than eight in 10 people in the region agreed that the death penalty is more effective than life imprisonment in deterring people from trafficking drugs into Singapore.
Mr Shanmugam also said that the preliminary results of another study, conducted in 2021, showed that 66 per cent of Singapore residents said that mandatory death penalty is appropriate as the punishment for drug trafficking.
A mandatory death penalty means that the court must impose the punishment on the offender once he or she is found guilty of that crime, and has no power to impose any other type of sentence.
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 mandatory death penalty, as Mr Shanmugam had mentioned, 14 per cent were neutral, while 20 per cent strongly disagreed or disagreed with its use.
However, of this 20 per cent who disagreed with mandatory death penalty, 62 per cent believed life imprisonment was a more appropriate punishment for drug trafficking, while 23 per cent of them believed that discretionary death penalty was more appropriate.
Taking this into account, 73 per cent of all the respondents believed that some form of death penalty, whether mandatory of discretionary, was an appropriate punishment for trafficking a significant amount of drugs, said MHA.
"Overall, the studies show that there is very strong support among Singapore residents on Singapore’s use of the death penalty for the most serious crimes," the ministry added in a statement on Wednesday which accompanied the release of the findings.
"There is also a clear view, both domestically and within the region, that the death penalty is effective in deterring people from trafficking drugs into Singapore and is more effective than life imprisonment in doing so."
MORE ABOUT THE FINDINGS
The third study released by MHA was commissioned by the ministry and conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS).
Titled "Study on Attitudes towards the Use of Capital Punishment", it surveyed 2,000 Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 18 and above between October 2019 and January 2020.
Findings from both MHA's 2021 study on Singapore residents and the IPS one revealed similar views on the use of the death penalty in general:
- In the MHA study, 74 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the death penalty should be used for the most serious crimes
- Meanwhile, 11 per cent strongly disagreed or disagreed with this, and the remaining 15 per cent said they were "neutral"
- In the IPS study, 74 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the death penalty is justified for the most serious of crimes, while 8 per cent strongly disagreed or disagreed
When asked specifically on mandatory death penalty, both the IPS and MHA studies found that a majority of the respondents said that it was appropriate that it be applied for serious crimes.
- In the IPS study, 71 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the death penalty should be mandatory for murder
- Meanwhile, 62 per cent said it should be mandatory for drug trafficking, while 60 per cent said the same for the use of firearms
- In the MHA survey, 81 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that mandatory death penalty was appropriate for murder
- The figure was 71 per cent for the use of firearms and 66 per cent for drug trafficking
Taking into account respondents who disagreed with mandatory death penalty, but preferred discretionary death penalty, 88 per cent agreed to some form of the death penalty as a punishment for murder, 82 per cent for use of firearms, and 73 per cent for drug trafficking.
Both studies also asked Singaporeans and permanent residents if they agreed that the death penalty is effective in deterring serious crimes:
- In the IPS study, 78 per cent of respondents believed that the death penalty serves as a deterrent for serious crimes in general
- In relation to drug trafficking, 79 per cent of respondents believed that the death penalty deters people from the act, while 71 per cent believed that it is more effective than life imprisonment in doing so
- In the MHA study, a "large majority" of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the death penalty in Singapore deters drug trafficking (83 per cent), firearm offences (86 per cent), and murder (86 per cent)
- In that study, 74 per cent of respondents also agreed or strongly agreed that the death penalty is more effective than life imprisonment in deterring people from trafficking drugs into Singapore.
EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON TIMING OF RELEASE
Legal experts and sociologists say that with the release of these full studies, the Singapore Government is looking to demonstrate to both residents and foreign observers that there is still "a strong bedrock of support" for the death penalty.
"Given that you have so much news coming from outside of Singapore that criticises Singapore's use of the death penalty, it becomes important for MHA to demonstrate through (surveys) to demonstrate that there is still that strong bedrock of support for the use of the death penalty in serious crimes," said Associate Professor Eugene Tan from the Yong Pung How School of Law at Singapore Management University (SMU).
Agreeing, sociologist Tan Ern Ser from the National University of Singapore said that the full results could have been released due to the increased proliferation of online content arguing against the use of the death penalty.
"I believe (the release of the studies) has more to do with a perception that an increasingly significant proportion of young Singaporeans is opposed to mandatory death penalty, especially for those convicted of drug trafficking offences, and who may be swayed by what they read of the mounting international pressure."
He added: "It could also be a response to the decriminalisation of cannabis in some places near or rendered near by the ease of international travel."
In June, Thailand had legalised the growing of marijuana and its consumption in food and drinks, the first Asian country to do so.
Assoc Prof Tan from SMU added that having the results published in full, with the methodology and list of questions fleshed out, also leaves no room for doubt that the survey results were collected in a fair and objective manner.
"It goes back to the point of accountability and letting people judge for themselves... with the full study you can look at what sort of questions were asked," he said.
Assoc Prof Tan also hopes that MHA will make it a regular practice from now on to release the full results of any future surveys, so that longer term trends can be observed.
"If these surveys are regularly conducted and their findings regularly released, they will enable us to have a sense of how attitudes are changing," he said.
Dr Tan, the sociologist, added, however, that while the full results could "win over" those who are neutral or somewhat opposed to the death penalty, it will likely not convince those who are strongly opposed to rethink their stance.
"The gap is hard to bridge, just as life and death is not on the same continuum," he said.
