'Large majority' in regional cities agree Singapore's death penalty deters serious crimes: MHA survey
More than 84 per cent of respondents believed that capital punishment deters the trafficking of drugs into Singapore.
File image of a hangman's noose. (Photo: iStock)
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SINGAPORE: A large majority of people living in the region believe the death penalty is effective in deterring serious crimes such as drug trafficking in Singapore, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Tuesday (Aug 26).
In an online survey conducted on 12,000 residents from six regional cities, 83.9 per cent said they believed that the death penalty deters serious crimes such as murder and the smuggling of firearms into Singapore.
Separately, 84.2 per cent of respondents, who are aged 20 to 64, indicated that capital punishment deters the trafficking of "substantial amounts of drugs" into the country.
The six cities were selected due to the significant numbers of visitors from these places to Singapore in recent years, said MHA. In response to CNA's query, MHA said it would not disclose the names of the specific cities surveyed.
The latest study to understand the perceptions of people living in the region on Singapore’s crime situation and laws, which took place from September to November 2024, is the second edition of the survey and incorporated several methodological enhancements.
According to the study, 82.1 per cent of respondents believed that the executions of drug traffickers in Singapore over the past year have deterred people from trafficking substantial amounts of drugs into Singapore.
Compared to life imprisonment, 81 per cent of them felt that the death penalty is more effective in discouraging people from committing serious crimes, and 82.5 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that capital punishment is better at deterring drug trafficking.
SAFETY AND SECURITY
Respondents were also surveyed on their perceptions of Singapore's safety and security, with a large majority indicating that Singapore was a safe country.
In the survey, 82.3 per cent said they felt safe when travelling in Singapore, with 87.3 per cent indicating that they trusted law enforcement officers to keep them safe while they are in the country.
There was also "very high awareness" of the laws and penalties against serious crimes in Singapore, said MHA.
According to the survey, 95 per cent of respondents were aware that drug consumption is a crime in Singapore. For the awareness of drug trafficking being a crime, the figure stood at 95.2 per cent.
Most respondents - 85.6 per cent of those surveyed - were also aware of the death penalty for committing serious crimes in general in Singapore, with 86.8 per cent knowing that drug traffickers can face the death penalty.
In addition, 75.6 per cent of respondents were aware that, in the past year preceding the survey, executions had been carried out in Singapore for offences that involved the trafficking of large amounts of drugs into the country.
EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS
Respondents mostly agreed that Singapore’s strict laws help to deter crime.
Of those surveyed, 89.6 per cent believed that Singapore’s laws against crime are strict, with 88.6 per cent agreeing or strongly agreeing that those strict laws have been effective in preventing crime.
Due to those strict laws, 84.7 per cent of respondents believed that people would hesitate before committing crimes in Singapore.
Respondents also had faith in the efficacy of Singapore’s law enforcement personnel - 86.8 per cent believed that the authorities were effective in catching offenders.
Most respondents believed that people would likely be caught if they committed a crime (87.9 per cent), consumed drugs (86.4 per cent) or got involved in drug trafficking activities (89.6 per cent) in Singapore.
They also believed that people would likely be punished if they were caught committing a crime (90.3 per cent), consuming drugs (88.2 per cent) or being involved in drug trafficking activities (91.0 per cent) in Singapore.
When asked about the fairness of Singapore's criminal justice system, 79.4 per cent of respondents believed that the country’s justice system is fair to all, while 80.4 per cent agreed that the Singapore Courts act fairly.
MHA said: “The findings from the 2024 survey found that the large majority of people living in regional cities continue to have favourable perceptions of Singapore’s safety and security, are highly aware of the laws against serious crimes in Singapore, and believe that Singapore’s laws and law enforcement system are effective in deterring serious crimes.”
“In particular, they believe that the death penalty deters serious crimes in Singapore, including the trafficking of drugs, and is a more effective deterrent than life imprisonment,” the ministry added.
