Singapore’s Controversial Execution of Drug Smuggler: A Zero-Tolerance Policy or Inhumane Punishment?

Singapore executed a man for smuggling 1 kilogram of cannabis into the country. The man, Hishamrudin Bin Mohd, a 41-year-old Malaysian, was arrested in 2016 at Woodlands Checkpoint, where he was found to be carrying a black bundle containing the drugs. He was sentenced to death in 2018, and his appeal was dismissed in 2019. In a statement, the Singaporean government defended the decision to carry out the execution, stating that drug trafficking is a serious offense that can have grave consequences for society. Singapore has a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs and has one of the world’s toughest drug laws, with mandatory death sentences for certain drug offenses. The government argues that this approach has been successful in keeping drug use and related crime rates low in the country. However, human rights activists and some governments have criticized Singapore’s use of the death penalty, particularly for non-violent drug offenses. According to Amnesty International, at least 10 people were executed for drug offenses in Singapore in 2020.