The Death Penalty – Yea or Nay?

17 April 2017

WhatsApp Image 2017-04-17 at 2.33.35 PM

Date: 27th May 2017
Time: 2.00 – 5.00pm
Venue: The Seminar Room, 51 Cuppage Road, #07-22, Singapore 229469
(behind Centrepoint Shopping Centre, opposite Somerset MRT)
See map – https://goo.gl/maps/MFkeHBYXzBw

The Death Penalty – Yea or Nay? Have your say
A discussion on the relevance of the death penalty in Singapore
To discuss capital punishment/the death penalty in Singapore and Singaporeans’ perspectives and feelings about it.

1: The Singapore story on the death penalty
A/Prof Chan Wing Cheong will share the history of the death penalty in Singapore, cases by law on the Death penalty and share some cases that ask for our greater discussions.

2: What do Singaporeans have to say on the Death Penalty in Singapore?
A/Prof Tan Ern Ser will speak on Singaporeans approach to the Death Penalty and share findings done by the NUS and SMU teams who had as their consultant Prof. Roger Hood from Oxford University who started this whole survey for Commonwealth countries and also shared his views with Dr Michael Hor, when he was at NUS.

3: Why Some countries believe in the Death Penalty?
Assistant Professor Jack Lee  Tsen-Ta will highlight countries that have death penalties and why they justify the DP as a form of punishment.

4: Why the death penalty should not be in Singapore anymore?
Mr M. Ravi will highlight countries that do not have the death penalty, as a means to punish perpetrators.

5: A Good Shepherd Mission Sister will share her experiences in a speech that the moderator will read.

Workshop, objectives and structure for Participants
– participants to be divided into 2 groups, one to discuss the pros/for the death penalty and the other the cons/against the death penalty
– each group will nominate a rep to present their arguments
– This is to create awareness, emotions, impact and thought processes on the subject of the death penalty
– flip boards, markers and paper will be provided

Outcomes
A paper based on the results of the forum will be put together and shared.

To attend this discussion, please register at our Facebook event page below.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1711517559145939

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Singapore Survey on Public Opinion on the Death Penalty

14 December 2016

The results of a public opinion survey on the Death Penalty, led by Professor Chang Wing Cheong and Professor Tan Ern Ser was released by the National University of Singapore on Thursday.

Ms Braema Mathi from MARUAH supported the survey by providing a NGO perspective. MARUAH is very happy this survey has been carried out, with the kind help of NUS and Prof Roger Hood from Oxford University, who led similar studies in Trinidad, Malaysia etc.

More on the issue of the Death Penalty can also be found on The Death Penalty Project website
http://www.deathpenaltyproject.org/ 

The following findings of the survey report may be of interest

  • only 10 – 12 % of those profiled would support the mandatory death penalty for all cases (murder and drug trafficking);
  • when respondents were asked to rank five policies which they believed would be most likely to reduce very violent crimes leading to death and which four policies most likely to reduce the trade in dangerous drug, in both instances “better moral education of young people” was placed first by a majority of the respondents. Only 5% and 7% of the respondents ranked “greater number of executions” as being most effective to reduce violent crimes and drug trafficking respectively; and
  • those with degree qualification are 1.7 times more likely to support the death penalty than those with primary or lower education.

The survey report can be accessed below.
nus-public-opinion-report

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The Sorry State of Human Rights in Singapore

5 December 2016

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Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December. It commemorates the day on which, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In Singapore, MARUAH, a human rights organisation, will mark the day with a public meeting at Hong Lim Park to draw much needed attention to the state of Human Rights in our country. Speakers at the event include: Teo Soh Lung; Paul Tambyah; Terry Xu; Sean Francis Han; Jolovan Wham; Han Hui Hui; Gilbert Goh; M Ravi; Tan Kin Lian and Leong Sze Hian.

As highlighted by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, ‘Many of us are fearful about the way the world is heading. Extremist movements subject people to horrific violence. Conflicts and deprivation are forcing families from their homes. Climate change darkens our horizons – and everywhere, it seems, anxieties are deepening. Humane values are under attack, and we feel overwhelmed – unsure what to do or where to turn.’

‘Join us. Help break the toxic patterns of a fearful world and embark on a more peaceful, more sustainable future. We don’t have to stand by while the haters drive wedges of hostility between communities – we can build bridges. Wherever we are, we can make a real difference. In the street, in school, at work, in public transport; in the voting booth, on social media, at home and on the sports field.’

‘Wherever there is discrimination, we can step forward to help safeguard someone’s right to live free from fear and abuse. We can raise our voices for decent values. We can join others to publicly lobby for better leadership, better laws and greater respect for human dignity.’

Event details
Date : 10 December 2016
Time : 4.00pm to 7.00pm
Venue : Speakers’ Corner
Hong Lim Park
[map]

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The role of the press in Singapore

5 December 2016

Please see below for a research paper written by Ms Elsy Byuma, a law student from Belgium, on the role of the press in Singapore.

the-role-of-the-press-in-singapore

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MDA censorship of Les Miserables

15 June 2016

MARUAH notes with concern the recent Media Development Authority’s (MDA) censorship on a same-sex kiss in the musical Les Miserables. This, together with the Ministry of Home Affairs’s ban on foreign corporate support of Pink Dot, panders to narrow minded prejudices. It limits freedom of expression and wrongly presumes that Singaporeans are not mature enough to make up our own minds on such issues.

The tragic events in Orlando, Florida remind us of the prejudice, discrimination and even hatred the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community often faces.

Smothering discussion of issues just because someone may be offended does not advance tolerance and understanding. Civilised and robust debate does. We are a diverse society with multiple races, religious groups, languages and sexual orientations.

Tolerance makes difference possible, difference makes tolerance necessary. And yet tolerance and/or accommodation are all not great steps. We ask that Singapore engages on the issues of same sex expressions by providing equality. 

MARUAH Singapore

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Police investigation of Teo Soh Lung and Roy Ngerng

7 June 2016

MARUAH Singapore, in support of fair police process and procedures in carrying out their duties in upholding the law and in this case regarding the Parliamentary Elections Act, sent the appended letter to Straits Times’ Forum pages on 2 June 2016. The letter was to date not published. 

——————

The Forum Page Editor,
The Straits Times

Dear Sir/Madam,

MARUAH is writing to express our disappointment and concerns at the manner and the process in which suspects, Ms Teo Soh Lung and Mr Roy Ngerng, were treated during police investigations that were held on 31st May 2016.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Letter to President Tony Tan on Jabing Kho

18 May 2016

17th May 2016

Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam
President
Republic of Singapore
istana_feedback@istana.gov.sg

Dear President Tan,

We from MARUAH, a human rights organisation, would like to lodge with you, our concerns and also ask that we stay the order to execute Jabing Kho, who is sentenced to be hanged on 20th May 2016, based on the letter received by his family.

We ask for this stay order and a review of the sentencing for the following reasons: – Read the rest of this entry »

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