Punishment in Singapore

Harsh penalties may well deter crime in Singapore (April 2). But before those favoring “three strikes and you’re out” and other such nostrums get carried away, I would also point to that country’s full-employment economy, rapid economic growth, and a solid basic educational system as much more important contributors to its safe streets. In the past two decades, Singapore’s manufacturing wage has risen from roughly one-eighth to one-third of the U.S. level, part of the general East Asian economic success story.

A population with good opportunities for jobs at rising wages will not be crime-prone. That is Singapore’s real lesson for California and the United States.

DANIEL J.B. MITCHELL, Professor

Anderson Graduate School of Management

UCLA

As the former U.S. ambassador to Singapore and current honorary consul general of Singapore in California, I believe that it is only fair to state my position on the possible caning of Michael Fay in Singapore. For your information, I was in Singapore at the time of the offenses by Fay and met with the U.S. Embassy personnel as well as one of the principals of the Singapore American School. First, there is no question that Fay was guilty of the offenses even though he told his father that he was innocent.

Singapore officials believe in protecting the innocent citizens of Singapore and punishing the criminals. As you are probably aware, they are also criticized for the death penalty for drug pushers. They have checked how the current laws in the United States are enforced and feel that there are far more innocent people killed in the United States because of drugs than could ever be hanged in Singapore. Because of the strict deterrents, there is very little graffiti, drug-pushing, drug usage, crime or other acts of violence in Singapore. It appears to be inappropriate for the President of the United States and others to ask the Singapore government for leniency for an American when it is mandatory for Singapore citizens. I am a strong believer in deterrents.

I lived in Singapore for 2 1/2 years, from 1987 through 1989, and assure you that everyone in Singapore is able to walk the streets of Singapore at night without fear. The majority of Singaporeans support the Singapore laws, as well as the majority of calls that the Singapore Embassy in the United States has been receiving concerning Michael Fay’s sentence. I feel that it is not appropriate for the United States government and the media to get so involved, and I can assure you that it will not make Singapore change its mind.

DARYL ARNOLD

Santa Ana Heights

Your article on the Caining (please leave this spelling) of Michael Fay mentions that only 45 of 1,416 acts of vandalism in 1992 alone were “punished” in Singapore. It is difficult and somewhat unacceptable to discuss the unempirical subject of race in the press, but it is obvious that this young man is being singled out for such a cruel and unusual punishment (for the crime of spray-painting cars) because of it.

People who say they support this ridiculous consequence are voicing their justifiable anger about crime, especially in this country. They are also denying their outrage at the physical and emotional scarring of this young man from such a place as Ohio, whose very shape is symbolic of the heart of this great nation.

MICHAEL TENHUNDFELD

Los Angeles

It is a good thing the ACLU has no clout in Singapore. Michael Fay deserves the “woodshed” treatment for vandalizing cars with spray paint and eggs and tearing down signs. Maybe getting flogged on the buttocks six times by a martial-arts expert will make a believer out of this kid. Were it not for the likes of the bleeding-hearts ACLU, this kind of old-fashioned punishment might be just what we need in this country to straighten out some of our rebellious teen-agers.

GENE POLITO

Irvine

I was dismayed to learn that many letters have been written in support of Singapore’s planned caning of Michael Fay for allegedly committing acts of vandalism. I am sure that those in favor of caning do not realize that this punishment is quite clearly torture. The individual is tied down naked, usually goes into shock from the intense pain within a few seconds, is often revived so that the process can continue, loses large amounts of blood and bares permanent physical, not to mention psychological scars.

Probably most of those in favor would change their vote if it were their son in Michael Fay’s frightening position.

JIM HORWICH

Los Angeles