The ISA is certainly less restrictive than the Criminal Law
(Temporary Provisions). The latter is good enough for our
small-time juvenile secret society members but there will be many
times when dealing with the mafia that insufficient evidence has
arisen or it is not in the public interest to reveal sensitive
information to the Review Board that might jeopardise future
action. I think the ISA may be useful as a second line legal
instrument against mobsters who might be tempted to operate in our
casinos.
I stand by the death penalty though, as I have said so many times
before. Apart from deterrence, victims of heinous crime should not
be prevented from seeing retribution meted out. Until the majority
of Singaporeans are happy to see the murderer of their husbands and
wives alive in Changi hotel, the death sentence should stay. There
are still plenty of Singaporeans like me who believe in an eye for
an eye, a life for a life. This law may change in future, after I
am gone, and by then i won't care.
