Over 80% of people in region believe S'pore's death penalty, executions an 'effective deterrent' for drug trafficking: MHA

Over 80 per cent of people in the region believe that the death penalty is an effective deterrent for serious crimes such as drug trafficking in Singapore, according to a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) survey.

The executions of drug traffickers were also perceived to have the same effect.

The ministry shared the results of its 2024 survey about regional perceptions of Singapore's crime situation and laws in an Aug. 26 statement.

12,000 respondents from six cities in the region, which had significant numbers of visitors to Singapore in recent years, were surveyed.

The cities in question were not specified.

The majority of respondents also perceived Singapore to be safe, its strict laws effective, and its criminal justice system fair, according to the report.

Perception of Singapore's laws and justice system

82.4 per cent of respondents said they felt safe when travelling to Singapore, and 87.3 per cent reported trusting law enforcement officers in Singapore to keep them safe.

80.4 per cent reported believing that the Singapore Courts "acts fairly", according to the survey.

Most also said they were aware of the laws and penalties against serious crimes in Singapore.

86.8 per cent reported they knew about the death penalty for drug trafficking, and 75.6 per cent said they were aware of executions in the past year relating to drug trafficking offences.

88.6 per cent added that they believe Singapore's strict laws have been "effective in preventing crime".

Death penalty an effective deterrent

On the death penalty, most respondents agreed that the punishment is an "effective deterrent" — against serious crimes, and also specifically against drug trafficking.

84.2 per cent said the death penalty deters people from trafficking substantial amounts of drugs into Singapore, while 82.1 per cent said the executions of drug traffickers over the past year have had the same effect.

The majority also reported perceiving the death penalty to be more effective than life imprisonment in the deterrence of such serious crimes, the survey said.

81 per cent believed that it was more effective in discouraging serious crimes like murder, and 82.5 per cent believed it was more effective in discouraging drug trafficking.

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