Singapore's death penalty for drug trafficking saves lives: Shanmugam tells BBC

Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam in an interview on the BBC's HARDtalk programme with presenter Stephen Sackur. - SCREENGRAB FROM BBC HARDTALK/TWITTER

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): Critics of Singapore's mandatory death penalty for convicted drug traffickers miss the point that it saves lives and protects Singaporeans, Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam has said.

In an interview on the BBC's HARDtalk programme that aired on Wednesday (June 29), he noted that the BBC focused on the hanging of one drug trafficker, but not on the severe drug situation in South-East Asia, and the thousands of lives at stake.