When British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson declined an invitation for a debate with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) about the death penalty (DP), few probably expected a barrage of criticisms to come his way.
But that’s exactly what has been happening, with the ministry itself now entering the fray.
In a press release today (5 Nov), MHA finally addressed Mr Branson’s reasons for rejecting their invitation.
From the get-go, the ministry called out Mr Branson for “making untrue statements” about the penalties against drug traffickers in Singapore.
This was their reason for inviting him in the first place, to offer a platform to argue his case.
Mr Branson, however, declined the invitation, claiming, among other things, that an on-air debate would restrict the discussion.
Source: Richard Branson on Facebook
In his view, it would reduce a complex and “nuanced” discussion into “soundbites” or short extracts that are concise.
MHA found his argument “surprising” as they intended to allow Mr Branson to “explain himself fully”. There was no implication of the debate being succinct.
Moreover, they pointed out that his point contradicts with his prior treatment of the topic, where he made “unsubstantiated allegations” and “soundbites” about the DP in his blog posts.
After pointing out the flaws in his reasoning, MHA inferred that Mr Branson’s real reason was that he was afraid of being “shown up”. This is especially because he would realise his allegations about Singapore are untrue.
As for Mr Branson’s suggestion that the Government engage Singaporeans instead of him, MHA debunked it by saying that they have been doing so. The Briton’s statement only proved that he was unaware.
The ministry went on to list the various engagements and outcomes:
Their offer to have a debate with Mr Branson was thus in addition to the community engagements. Emphasising the importance of highlighting the inaccuracies of his arguments, MHA wrote:
He has been publicly peddling falsehoods about Singapore, using his celebrity status to campaign to change Singapore’s position. If his facts are wrong, it is important this be publicly exposed. If Mr Branson is convinced he is correct, he should take up our offer of a debate, and not offer lame excuses to opt out.
Comparing Singapore to other countries as Mr Branson asked that they do, the ministry pointed out that our drug situation is under much better control.
They countered by claiming that choosing our own path has created a safe environment for locals and foreigners alike to live, in a city with a very low crime rate.
This success only proves that the Government is capable of making its own decisions, explaining them to Singaporeans, and gaining support for them.
Concluding their response, MHA made two inferences about Mr Branson:
Preaching his opinions from afar and avoiding a discussion showed a lack of respect for principles as well as the people he claims to be speaking for.
Therefore, the ministry advised Mr Branson to “act with some honour”. If he speaks on matters that could affect countless lives in another country, he should be ready to explain himself.
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Featured image adapted from Virgin on Facebook.
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