Singapore: Online media keeps alive debate on death penalty

Yong Vui Kong

IT is a rare occurrence when politics plays a part -- however teeny weeny that part may be -- in relaxing a tough piece of legislation like the death penalty in this city state.

More than 40 years after hanging was introduced for murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking and firearms offences, the Singapore government has decided to ease up a little.

Judges will be given the discretion to go for life imprisonment for those charged with murder and drug trafficking, if certain requirements are met:

FOR murder, if lawyers can prove that their clients had no intention to kill; and

FOR drug trafficking, if they can show those charged were only transporting, sending or delivering drugs, have helped the Central Narcotics Bureau substantively or are mentally disabled.

But it is the online media, with The Online Citizen (TOC) in the forefront, that has kept the issue on the boil.

From campaigning against the death sentence imposed on 24-year-old Malaysian Yong Vui Kong, to organising forums, to examining the law, TOC has made some impact.

Said its chief editor, Kumaran Pillai: "Our opposition to the death penalty is based on the principle of compassion. Death sentences are irreversible and do not allow for redemption in cases of miscarriage of justice.

"We also note that the mandatory death penalty has not been an effective deterrent for drug-related offences. While we have made some inroads in the recent past, there is a lot more work that needs to be done for the complete abolishment of the death penalty."

Click here to read the full article

Source: NST, November 2, 2012

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