Singapore invites billionaire Richard Branson to death penalty debate World News

Singapore has invited British billionaire Richard Branson to a live televised debate with Home Office and Law Minister K Shanmugam on the city-state’s drug policy and the death penalty, in response to the businessman’s blog post on the subject.

“Singapore still finds itself on the wrong side of history,” Branson said in an Oct. 10 post, with a continued, almost stubborn use of the death penalty, especially for drug crimes. He highlighted this year’s execution of convicted Malaysian drug dealer Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, which has drawn international criticism over concerns over his mental abilities.

Also read: Singapore government moves to ‘maintain’ heterosexual marriage

Nagaenthran was hanged in 2009 after being found guilty of trafficking around 43 grams of heroin into Singapore. Multiple appeals against the sentence were dismissed in the city-state’s court, with Branson linking the execution to Singapore’s commitment to protecting people with disabilities.

Singapore’s Home Ministry rejected Branson’s remarks in a statement on Saturday, saying the drug dealer “knew what he was doing and he was not mentally handicapped”.

“Mr. Branson may use this platform to prove to Singaporeans that what we are doing is wrong and why Singapore should repeal the laws that protect our people from the scourge of global drug abuse,” the ministry said in a statement. He “will pay for airfare and accommodation to Singapore.”

The ministry defended the government’s drug policy, saying the measures were aimed at protecting Singapore and its residents from drugs. Strict laws and their clear enforcement have greatly reduced the amount of drugs entering Singapore, leading to a steady decline in the number of drug abusers.

Also read: Omicron sub-variant linked to Singapore’s Covid surge makes headway in India: official

“Mr Branson is entitled to his opinion,” the ministry said. “These views may be widely accepted in the UK, but we do not accept that Mr Branson or others in the West have the right to impose their values ​​on other societies. Nor do we believe that a man who waged two wars in China in the 19th century to force China Countries that accept opium imports have any moral right to educate Asians about drugs.”