Singapore, notorious for its strict laws, including a ban on spitting in public and selling chewing gum, may punish convicted fraudsters with caning, according to statements from lawmakers reported by multiple news outlets. Under the new legislation, which reportedly passed this week, scammers and those who recruit others to become criminals could reportedly face a penalty of up to 24 cane lashings.
Sim Ann, the senior minister of state in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs, who introduced the bill that has since passed, claims scams make up 60% of all criminal activity in Singapore, and as a result, argues that more serious punishment is necessary, per The New York Post.
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Smartraveller.gov.au rates Singapore as a relatively safe country to visit but warns of scams. The agency notes that scammers often disguise themselves as local government officials or representatives of banks and other companies in hopes of stealing a victim’s personal information.
Use of canings in other offenses
Offenses warranting a caning under Singapore law have typically been rape, drug smuggling and the illicit transfer of funds. Only men under 50 are subject to caning penalties.
Human rights advocates condemn canings
Caning has faced criticism from human rights advocates, including Amnesty International, which calls the punishment inhumane and urges its abolition. The penalty has been in place in Singapore since the 19th century, but the nation has expanded its use in recent years, including a version described as less harsh at an all-boys school.
What does caning entail?
Those who have endured the punishment describe immense pain associated with the lashings, and report that the long stick used to strike a person typically breaks with just a few hits. A person who is sentenced to caning must usually strip naked and is then strapped to an object resembling a wooden table in a secluded part of a prison. A caning can involve strikes to the buttocks, hands or back.
Other nations that reportedly allow canings include Malaysia, Indonesia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
