THE MISSION OF SIR ANEROOD IN SINGAPORE

LAW AND ORDER

Let us hope that the visit of Sir Anerood in Singapore has been a fruitful one and he has come back with his head crammed full of ideas concerning law and order in that country, and how the Singaporean model can be worked out locally. We all know what Singapore stands today in terms of security and cleanliness. I don’t think there is any other country in the world which has a better law and order than Singapore. This country is a model to copy. SAJ could only not have chosen another country than Singapore to deepen his knowledge of law and order.

Le Ministre Mentor who announced his intention of visiting, among other things, the prison in Singapore had surely concerned himself with the latest techniques in the fight against cybercrime and drug-trafficking. He had surely learned about the jail life in Singapore and seen the difference when compared with that of his country. He might have surely shocked the Prison Commissioner there when he told him that his country which has a population of barely 1.3 millions is equipped with Five Stars prisons which accommodate 600 prisoners monthly with a royal treatment along with a balanced diet coupled with fish, meat, eggs, chicken (que du blanc de poulet), fruit and other privileges. I am sure that he had not forgotten to say that the State spends some Rs 750 per prisoner daily. The annual budget for their kitchen turns around 51 million rupees. All these at the expense of tax-payers’ money. And to close this chapter he had no doubt told the Prison Commissioner that in his country there are prisoners who have been jailed more than 30 times, that 67 % of the prisoners after their release relapse deliberately into an offence just to return to prison. The prisoners in his country are so pampered that they are reluctant to go home after they have served their sentence. And then last but not least he has surely added that the prisons in his country adhere religiously to Human Rights. «De quoi couper le souffle du Commissaire de prisons de Singapour en écoutant le chapelet de bonne intentions de son gouvernement envers les prisonniers.»

His Singaporean listeners have surely been astounded to hear how they, with a population of more than 6 millions, have a drug-free society while the country of their guest, with barely 1.3 million inhabitants, is a gold-medalist in drug-trafficking and number ONE on the African Continent in terms of drugs. And with the plethora of drugs which are causing an untold harm to his society, Sir Anerood has surely asked his listeners about their recipe in their fight against drug-trafficking. He has no doubt been told of their success in the fight against the death-sellers, which consists of Education and Rigorous laws, including the Death Penalty (to the total exclusion of Prison 5 zetwal avizaz imin and Human Rights) because Singapore is not slave to Human Rights. Now it remains to be seen if Sir Anerood would try the recipe on his return to cure our society from the scourge of drugs.

Yes, he can, provided there is that political will to set the ball rolling ! So let us wait and see what Sir Anerood has brought in his suitcase from Singapore to better our law and order to make our society a little more livable.

By Raj Paneken