CANADA SHOULD ADOPT SWIFT, MERCILESS SINGAPORE-STYLE JUSTICE

This week, something I've never done before. I've often published
comments from readers, but never an entire letter. But I believe this
unsolicited letter from Singapore is interesting, thought-provoking
and too important to toss away. As the lawyers say "Res ipsa
loquitor". This letter speaks for itself.

The letter reads, "I now live in Singapore, but have lived in Ontario
for over 50 years. This year when I was home I read your article about
Singapore justice. Why you agree with Singapore officials that we have
become "irresponsibly permissive" about law and order in North
America. Why our namby-pamby approach adversely affects patients
emotional and physical health. And why we need a dose of Singapore
justice in Canada.

In Singapore the streets are safe at any hour. My wife and I can walk
safely home from visiting friends at midnight and go anywhere without
being concerned about our safety. Anyone knows that this is not the
case in Toronto or other large cities.

Crime exists in Singapore, but it 's petty crime by Canadian
standards. There is also serious crime. For instance, last week there
were four murders and all of them were solved in ten minutes.
Moreover, they were personal squabbles among people who knew each other.

Shortly after we arrived in Singapore in 2001 a 35 year old man
convinced a minor to kill his wife. He was tried, had his appeal and
was hung in 14 months. The minor is spending the rest of his life in
jail. In Canada there would be appeals and appeals.

Last month three Thai nationals were executed for bludgeoning one of
their own to death because of a sexual slur.

People know there is a death sentence for dealing in illegal drugs.
Fridays are execution days and on Saturday the local newspaper informs
citizens that an execution has taken place. Justice is swift here. An
Indonesian suspected of stealing cell phones from his colleagues at
school was apprehended on Tuesday. He was convicted on Thursday, had
his appeal on Friday and deported on Saturday. He will never be
permitted to return to Singapore.

A lawyer from the Sault criticized your column by saying "tough laws
do not deter crime. Tell him to come to Singapore and get his facts
right.

I've read Lee Kuan Yew's biography. He is the founder of modern day
Singapore. He is quite emphatic that there is a place for respect,
fear and punishment for those who chose not to follow the norms of the
community.

If local Singaporeans are distressed by their tough laws they do not
show it. The ones we speak to say they like it this way. The rules are
clear and everybody understands the consequences.

I like it. I've never heard of a car being stolen. There is no
graffiti anywhere, the children do not yell obscenities to others in
public places. Public housing in Singapore is treated with a sense of
pride unlike in Toronto where it's often quickly turned into slums and
hovels.

We go to parks where we see a class of neatly uniformed, well-behaved
children with rakes in their hands performing a national service. If
this was done in Canada the parents would cry foul and the children
would refuse to get out of bed. If they did they would yield the rake
as a weapon. My apologies if I appear cynical but a lifetime in
Ontario education did it to me.

Enough rambling. You are right. Punishment, as Aristotle preached, is
a form of medicine and I'm just happy to substantiate the validity of
your columns about Singapore with my own experience."

Past letters from readers are 95 percent in favour of the Singapore
solution. But we all know it's not going to happen here. There are of
course many reasons why that is the case. The big one is that there is
no-one with spine like Lee Kuan Yew or anyone remotely like him in
Canada.

So there will be another 20,000 cars stolen just in Toronto this year,
more homes vandalized, more young people addicted to drugs and young
innocent girls dismembered. The list grows.