The Death Penalty should handed out liberally =P

Extend my arguments above. More on Singapore and their judicial system =) 'The strict laws in Singapore have been made fun of, but crime, especially serious ones like murder and drug trafficking, are no laughing matter,' said Ivan Tan, a 24-year-old undergraduate. 'The death penalty might be against human rights, but it's the reason we get to live in one of the safest cities in the world,' he added. When it comes to crime and punishment, this island state of five million people has been a lightning rod for derision, mockingly called a myriad of names from 'a fine city' to 'Disneyland with the death penalty.' But the Singapore government has stood firm on its tough stance, and proudly parades the twin banners of economic strength and low crime rates as symbols of the success of its authoritarian rule. After all, the country's leaders have emphasised that Singapore will not follow liberal Western ideologies, and must instead have its own brand of Asian- style democracy. To be fair, the country has made clear its zero tolerance policy in handling crime. On all inbound flights, for example, passengers are warned that possession of drugs is a crime that carries the death penalty in Singapore. Under the Singapore Penal Code, the death penalty is meted out on a range of offences, from unlawful discharge of firearms to murder. Any person found in possession of more than the allowed quantity of drugs also receives the mandatory death sentence. The 'mandatory' clause in the death penalty law removes judges' discretion to impose a lighter sentence. 'Nobody can claim that they don't know the rules. Since these people knowingly challenge the system and break the law, they deserve to get punished,' said Irene Ng, a 53-year-old homemaker. This bustling city boasts one of the highest levels of literacy in the world, but is surprisingly backward when it comes to discussion on issues of human rights. Singaporeans tend to shy away from the topic, and when pressed for comments on the subject, turn conveniently to government-sanctioned answers, routinely replicated arguments against freedom of expression and other civil group concerns: that the death penalty is a necessary evil, and to succumb to international pressure in these matters is to risk destroying the fabric of society. The mandatory death penalty for serious drug offences here is a 'trade-off' the government makes to protect 'thousands of lives' that may be ruined if illegal drugs were freely available, Law Minister and Second Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said at a dialogue session in May. While the United Nations Commission on Human Rights adopted a resolution calling for the establishment of moratoria on executions in 2003, Singapore has been adamant in its decision to remain one of the few nations worldwide with the mandatory death penalty. 'Thousands of lives have been ruined due to the free availability of drugs' in cities such as Sydney and New York, Shanmugam said. 'You save one life here, but 10 other lives will be gone. What will your choice be?' Singapore improved from first to fifth position in the world for number of executions per capita between 2004 and 2008. The city hanged more than one per million population each year, behind Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait and North Korea, with China ranking a close sixth.