Death penalty is the right policy: Shanmugam

In a showdown with BBC’s Stephen Sackur on the program HARDtalk, Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam reiterated that “clear evidence” exists to show that capital punishment is an effective deterrent and thus without qualms “the right policy”.

This came in response to journalist’s comments regarding Singapore’s draconian approach towards drugs and narcotics and the nation’s deteriorating reputation following the execution of Nagaenthram Dharmalingam in April this year.

Nagaenthram, sentenced to death for importing 42.72 grams of heroin in 2010, became a high-profile case after medical experts claimed that his IQ of 69 represented an intellectual disability. Mr Shanmugam said that Nagaenthram had the ‘workings of a criminal mind’ and that his own psychiatrist had confirmed that he was not intellectually disabled.

Mr Shanmugam emphasised that Singapore’s criminal code is centered around saving and protecting the lives of Singaporeans, given the disastrous implications of drug activities and the severity of the drug situation in neighbouring countries.

“I think the media reporting and all things that you’ve quoted, make this point: That… a single hanging of a drug trafficker is a tragedy; a million deaths from drug abuse is a statistic,” said Mr Shanmugam.

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