British billionaire Richard Branson turned down the Singaporean government’s offer for him to speak in a live televised death penalty debate and its war on drugs. In its place, he urged Home Affairs and Law 
to engage local activists in the discourse and not him.
The invitation comes after Branson ranted through a blog post about Singapore’s execution of Nagaenthran Dharmalingam, a Malaysian national known to have learning infirmities. Dharmalingam was given the death penalty for transporting 42.72 grams (1.5 ounces) of heroin across the border.
According to a CNN report, the British billionaire said that “Singapore’s government seems bent on executing scores of low-level drug traffickers, mostly members of poor, disadvantaged minorities, whilst failing to provide clear evidence that it has any tangible impact on drug use, crime or public safety……It’s a disproportionate, brutal response,” the billionaire added.
In a statement reported to The Guardian, the Singaporean ministry of home affairs responded that while Branson’s opinions may be extensively approved of in the UK, “we do not accept that Mr. Branson or others in the west are entitled to impose their values on other societies. Nor do we believe that a country that prosecuted two wars in China in the 19th century to force the Chinese to accept opium imports has any moral right to lecture Asians on drugs.”
Singapore’s unyielding stance is based on the view that capital punishment is an effective method of preventing drug traffickers and is capable of maintaining public safety.
In a CNN news story, three reports released by the Ministry of Home Affairs signified Singaporeans’ strong support for the death penalty, especially for drug trafficking. In one study that surveyed 2,000 local respondents, over 70% believed that executions were more effective compared to life imprisonment in thwarting drug traffickers from pursuing their illegal activities.
Pay attention to locals in the death penalty debate
Another blog post was published on Sunday explaining Branson’s reason why he declined the death penalty debate invitation. The British billionaire views the event as “always at risk of prioritizing personalities over issues—[and] cannot do the complexity of the death penalty any service.”
He recommended that Singaporean authorities must pay attention to local personalities and campaigners who similarly voiced out their condemnation over the death of Nagaenthran. Branson believes that these personalities must be engaged in a “constructive, lasting dialogue.”
“They deserve to be listened to, not ignored, or worse yet, harassed,” Branson wrote.
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