Singapore-style caning effective as crime deterrent, says NPC delegate

A Singapore-style system of corporal punishment should be introduced on the mainland as a deterrent to crime, a Guangzhou delegate to the National People’s Congress has proposed.

Chen Weicai, head of personnel at the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau’s political affairs department, said on Tuesday during a provincial NPC session that “strict punishment” was needed to solve rising crime in the city, a trend that was also reflected on a national level, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported on Wednesday.

Pointing to Singapore’s low crime rate, Chen said the city-state's “caning” practise was a more effective long-term deterrent to violent crime than the death penalty, which he said was only just “one aspect” of punishment.

He suggested caning as a punishment on an “instalment” system, in which “if you’re sentenced to be caned six times but you faint after accepting two, no problem, you can go home and accept the other four in the next six months”.

“This long-term shock and awe will ensure one does not dare break the law again,” Chen said.

Chen joked that Singaporean girls used to find ideal husbands based on whether they had scars on their buttocks. Those who had been caned, they knew were criminals, but were usually a “good catch” as they did not dare to break any rules.

More than 30 countries worldwide have lawful use of judicial corporal punishment, many of which are either former British colonies or under sharia law.

Chinese netizens could not tell whether Chen's proposal was serious, but reactions on social media were mixed.

“This is definitely not a good idea…we do not want to go back to the ancient times again,” wrote one user on Sina Weibo.

“I’m definitely in favour of the introduction of caning, for murderers, rapists, robbers but most of all for corrupt officials,” another said.