Most Singaporeans support death for drug traffickers, law minister Shanmugam says
- A survey conducted last year found 69 per cent of respondents agreed that the mandatory death penalty was appropriate, K. Shanmugam told parliament
- He also cited a 2021 study that found nearly nine out of 10 people believed the death penalty deters people from trafficking drugs into Singapore
He was delivering a ministerial statement in parliament on Singapore’s approach to drug control.
“There is broad support from our population because we have been upfront and open about the rationale, circumstances and safeguards on the use of the death penalty,” Shanmugam said.
Preliminary findings from a Home Affairs Ministry conducted last year showed that about 69 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the mandatory death penalty was an appropriate punishment for trafficking a significant amount of drugs.
This was up from 66 per cent recorded in 2021, Shanmugam said, adding that the ministry will publish a full report of the most recent survey later this year.
Nearly 77 per cent of survey respondents agreed that the death penalty should be used for the most serious crimes, such as murder and drug trafficking – up from almost 74 per cent two years back.